


Vermilion Tears

by certe_cose



Series: Vermilion Tears [1]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Amnesiac Reader, F/M, Female Reader, Kurta Reader, M/M, Mentions of the Phantom Troupe, Slow Burn, Y'all ready for some ANGST, and i mean SLOWWWW burn, crossposted on quotev, more romance will happen in the sequel, this is all just angst for now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 30,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23414374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/certe_cose/pseuds/certe_cose
Summary: On a quest to regain your memories and seek out your family's murderers, you apply for the 287th Hunter Exam in hopes that becoming a hunter will jump start your path. With trials and enemies laid out in your path, you have no clue of what to expect - least of all of one of your fellow applicants whose eyes glow red like yours. Could he be the key to your past? Or will he only cause you more pain?
Relationships: Gon Freecs/Killua Zoldyck, Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter)/Reader
Series: Vermilion Tears [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833667
Comments: 27
Kudos: 155





	1. Carnelian Nightmares

_You were going to die._

_Running desperately through the woods, tears staining your face, all you could feel was an impending and terrifying doom settle over you, a fear of losing your life so intense you were afraid it was_ you _who was willing it into existence. It wasn't your imagination though. Whatever was happening,_ whoever _it was - they were strong. You didn't need to be a skilled fighter to know that it was only a matter of time before you were found and killed._

Okaa-san... Obaa-san...

_Bare feet padding along the cobbled road, you tried to ignore the screams of anguish and fury around you. You tried to ignore the metallic scent that hung heavily in the air. Worst of all, you tried to ignore the dead bodies on the ground, blood splattered everywhere, and black holes where eyes had once been._

_Finally making it to your own home, you slammed open the already broken door, causing it to fall off the one measly hinge that it was still attached to._

_"No.... No!"_

_You threw up. What had been your breakfast now splattered on the ground, you continued to dry heave and gag at the sight before you, the salt of your tears and the acidic taste of your bile on your tongue. It didn't do much for the already destroyed home, bodies strewn out across the house. Your sister and her friend. Your father. Even your grandmother. Nobody was spared from the massacre, everything painted a bright, sinister carnelian._

_"[Y.../n].... is that.... you?"_

_The voice that called your name came out choked, and you whipped your head to the side to see an even more gruesome sight, causing you to sob even louder. Your mother was sitting up, back propped up against the wall and still alive. Barely. Even now you could tell she was on the brink of death, life fading out from her. She, like the rest of the room, was covered in a gooey red, and you were horrified to realize that most of it was probably her own. With her stomach torn open as if it had imploded, a pink trail of her organs hanging out, you cried even louder, not caring if you were found by your pursuant._

_The worst part were her eyes - or lack-there-of. Probably assuming she was dead, they had taken her eyes from her._

_"[Y/....n].... come..... ere...." Her voice came out broken, and you complied, crawling over and smearing blood all over your hands and clothes._

_Now in front of her, she fumbled for a moment before grabbing your hands, and you felt a cool metal contrast against your mother's clammy skin._

_Sighing, her head fell back against the wall weakly, her eyelids fluttering close. "Run... live.... my little... butter.... fly...."_

_Her hands dropped from yours and you continued to cry, calling out for a person who could no longer hear you. "Momma.... momma..._ noooo _.... please wake up.... I need you! Please wake up!_ MOMMA! _"_

_No matter how much you pleaded, she never woke up._

_Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, you shakily stood up, your face a mess of dirt, tears, snot, and blood. In your hands was a pendant with a ruby tear drop, one you had never seen before but was beautiful if it weren't for the smears of blood on the gold chain. It wasn't a family heirloom. Did your mother perhaps grab this from one of the killers?_

_"Let's do one more sweep of the town. Not everybody's dead yet."_

_The voice that came out was fairly close, and you felt yourself freeze up at the thought of being found._

Run... Live...

 _Your mother's voice echoed in your brain, and your eyes, burning a red hue from all of the emotional distress, darted towards the shattered window opposite the door. Without a second thought, you lunged forward and dived out the window, glass shards tearing at your clothes and skin as you unceremoniously hit the ground with a loud_ thwunk _. You heard a shout behind you, no doubt at the noise you made, but you didn't hesitate to look back as you broke into a sprint, vaguely aware that you had pursuers again._

 _Your legs were sore, muscles were screaming, and you knew they - whoever_ they _were - were getting close. Up ahead, you saw a clearing. No, not a clearing. The rocky drop gave way to a cliff, and you skidded to a stop as you turned around, coming face to face with a guy barely taller than you, face covered with a bandana and clothes splattered with blood. In his hands was a sword, and you felt your heart beat wildly._

_This was it. You were going to die._

_The man's already narrowed eyes focused in on the pendant in your hands, and you had a feeling he was scowling underneath the bandanna. "That necklace. I own it," he said, accent unrecognizable and his words somewhat broken. You clutched onto it tighter, and out of fear, took a step back._

_Mistake._

_Even the mystery assailant had no time to react as you plummeted downwards towards rushing water, and you squinted your eyes shut, knowing this was the end. You were falling, falling, falling towards your death._

_You screamed._

_And you screamed._

* * *

Your voice was hoarse by the time you realized you had only been dreaming, your blankets thrown off the bed in a fit of your terror. Your pillow, unfortunately, had not been so lucky - sometime during your nightmare, fear must have caused you to activate your nen, and the pillow was already in ashes from being the unlucky victim. Your bed, as well, had a small dent where it had crumbled away.

You're okay. You're okay. Maybe if you repeated that like a mantra, it'd be true.

Slowly sitting up, you placed the back of your hand on your forehead, feeling how clammy and feverish it was from the intense nightmare. Although, was it really a nightmare? While your memories were scarce, in what you assumed was due to falling off a cliff, you were certain the repeating nightmare of five years now was really a relic of the past. You recalled your family in them. Sort of. Theoretically, you _knew_ they were your family, but you never saw their appearances. Either that, or you just never remembered them when you woke up. The only face you remember was one of the people who had murdered your supposed family.

Subconsciously your hand came up to grasp the pendant you wore around your neck, the cool metal helping you calm down as you stood up on shaky legs and glanced back at the bed, grimacing at the mess. The hotel was going to have a _field_ day with this one, it's a good thing you paid with cash instead of a card. Maybe you could get out of here before they noticed the damage.

Slowly, you grabbed a plastic cup the hotel had provided you and filled it with water from the bathroom, greedily drinking it in one gulp to help get rid of the nausea your nightmare had brought on.

You needed an aspirin. Reaching for the medicine cabinet you paused, taking a moment to glance at yourself in the mirror. Matted and tangled [h/c] hair that currently looked like you spent years in the wild. Eye bags so dark it made you seem sick, pale skin from your lack of sleep. Most noticeable were your eyes - while usually a clear [e/c], they were a bright, burning red, the emotions from your nightmare still strong.

"You look like a mess," you told your reflection sympathetically. She tiredly stared back in agreement.

Managing to take a couple pills for your headache, you glanced at the time and figured it was too late to go back to bed. The sun would be rising soon, and you had too many plans today to sleep in late on accident. Besides... You didn't want to risk another nightmare.

Brushing the mess that was your hair and getting dressed, you soon made yourself look presentable, smiling at yourself in the mirror in satisfaction. It was genuine, but you couldn't hide the tiredness in your features. Oh well. Perhaps people would underestimate you if they thought you were weakened from sleep - they would be _sorely_ wrong.

Gathering your stuff, you left a quick, hastily written apology note on the desk before flitting out of the room, being careful to close your hotel room door quietly so you didn't accidentally wake anybody else up.

 _You only had a nightmare because you're starting the hunter exam today,_ you chided yourself, trying to get back into the groove of things as you grabbed a couple of fruits and waters from the hotel's continental breakfast to shove into your bag before setting off. Best be out of here before they get into your hotel room.

You immediately replied to your own thought wryly. _Okay, what about the other nightmares from the past five years? Huh?_

You didn't respond. You didn't need to.

Going into the building you were pointed to the day before and giving the waiter the secret pass code, you were soon led to the back in what looked to be a private dining room. You sat down, giving him your thanks before the room jolted and started to descend. Ah. It was an elevator.

The last remnants of your nightmare finally faded, the only thing you could do was clutch your ruby red pendant to alleviate your anxieties as the doors finally opened to an underground cavern, revealing the start of what was to be the 287th Hunter Exam.


	2. Currant Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first phase of the Hunter Exam is starting. MC sees a familiar face. New friends are made.

Number 111. After walking into the underground cavern and being handed a rounded badge ("your applicant number!" the strange-looking green man exclaimed), you were unsure on what to do, eyes scanning the crowd. There was still much more time to the deadline, but you had brought a book to read if you truly needed to pass the time. Not that you were concerned about that right now - no, you needed to find the person who told you to take the exam in the first place.

If he was even here.

Trying to spot him, your attention was taken away as a stoutly older man walked up to you, smiling happily at you as he introduced himself as Tonpa. He seemed kind, in no way a threat, but you weren't in a mood to exactly socialize with a stranger and fellow competitor. "You must be new here, I don't think I've seen you here before."

You introduced yourself politely, humming. "New, huh... That must mean you've taken the exam before. Any idea on what to expect?"

The older man guffawed, shaking his head. "Well, Miss [Y/n], the exam changes every time. I can point out people to look out for for ya, though!" Rifling through his bag, he pulled out two cans of juice, handing you one. You took it and examined the can. "Let's drink to our newfound friendship, huh?"

You shook your head, handing the can back. "No thanks." Your words were polite, and calm as you continued to speak. "After all, we're not really friends, right? We'll be competing against each other to become a hunter, something that may very well cause us to cross paths on opposite sides. Besides," your smile turned wry, "I'm not a fan of that flavor. I have a flask of water to satisfy me if I become thirsty."

While the man looked clearly down and put off, you didn't have time to properly apologize or reassure him as your eyes finally found a familiar face, one that was currently grinning snidely at you. Tonpa, sensing your distraction, looked over, blanching slightly. "Ah, number 44. Hisoka. You'll want to--"

Cutting him off, you waved your hand. "I know who he is. He's the reason I'm here."

Not bothering to wait around to see Tonpa's reaction, especially since it seemed Hisoka _wasn't_ a very popular man, you approached the man. He was donning a different outfit than the last time you had seen him, this one even more atrocious than the last, and his hair was now a fiery red instead of the cotton candy blue it was last time you had met. Was this guy's approach in life to just offend everybody's eyes?

Acting as if he was shocked to see you here, Hisoka gave you a grin that reminded you more of an animal stalking its prey than something friendly. "My, _[Y/n]_ , it's wonderful to see you here. I didn't believe you'd come."

You scrunched your nose up slightly. "I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you," you accused. "I don't have an interest in becoming a hunter. I just want my memories back."

And really, that's all it _was_. Sure, maybe you would have applied to be a hunter later on down the road, but you had bigger priorities. Save for your fragmented nightmares and your vague understanding of who you were, your memories from before you were 13 were gone. You had woken one day with lethal wounds in a stranger's house - you were told that by all means you should have died by the severity of your injuries, but besides amnesia, you had pulled through amazingly fast.

Inwardly waving those thoughts away, you crossed you arms. "Besides, I believe you know much more about me than you would like to tell me."

The clown shrugged, a smile that seemed to say "who can say?" plastered on his face. "You wound me. I would _never_ keep a secret from someone with as much potential as _you_."

That was a load of bullshit, but you opted to not respond, instead bidding him goodbye while you grumbled under your breath that this was going to be a waste of time. It wouldn't be the first time Hisoka jerked you around since you had the unfortunate luck to meet him. You just hoped this time would _actually_ be worthwhile and beneficial to you.

Feeling golden eyes penetrate into your back, you promptly ignored it, busying yourself in the corner with your book as more people gradually filtered in. Every now and then, you found your eyes wondering up to examine somebody of interest. A kid on a skateboard. A bald ninja. A set of identical brothers. A man with pins in his face - this last one made you falter, your eyes narrowing wearily on him. This one knew nen, and was in a whole other league than the others. As if he could feel your gaze, his soulless eyes looked over at you, and you maintained eye contact for a few seconds before slowly looking away. You hoped to goodness you weren't going to have to face him anytime soon.

After a couple more hours of reading, not bothering to glance up even again after your little stare down with number 301, you heard a scream of pain and terror echo throughout the cavern. Jerking your head up in shock, you weren't too surprised to see that Hisoka was at the epicenter of it. Of course it was. He couldn't stand going too long without chaos, and you carefully put your book into your bag, standing up and stretching your arms out to hopefully help with your stiff joints. You weren't about to approach that situation, no way, but you felt like it had been long enough to where the exam would be starting any minute.

Sure enough, shortly after the event where a man's arms _literally_ dissolved into petals in the same tacky fashion Hisoka tended to bear, the little green man from earlier ( _Beans_ , you reminded yourself. _He introduced himself as Beans._ ) announced that the entry period was up and that in a moment, the exam would be starting. Only minutes later did a man with weirdly long legs and an even weirder mustache appeared, announcing that the hunter exam would be starting and to follow him. Without saying literally anything else, a wall opened up to show a cavern and he just began to walk.

You were a bit confused, but decided to roll with the punches as you began to walk after him, making sure your backpack was shut tightly. Last thing you needed was your wallet or cellphone falling out, only to never be seen again.

Up ahead, you could see Hisoka, and as if he could tell you were staring at him, looked back and shot a shit-eating grin at you.

Gross.

You looked away, picking up your pace instead as the alleged examiner sped up. He had _extremely_ long legs, so running after him? Not fun. You could at least admit that the test could be harder, though. If it was only running, you could handle that, you had enough training and stamina by now to keep up for the time being. Besides, this was good exercise for you anyways, right?

Jogging along casually, you reached into your pocket to just reassure yourself that your weapon was still there, currently the size of a battery. Feeling the cool steel, you withdrew your hand only to have the little ring at the end of your weapon get caught on your finger and fall out of your pocket. You didn't react in time, having to stop as it hit the ground with a clink - and causing a tiny child to veer straight into you.

In your defense, you weren't expecting some kid that came up to your chest to be participating in the exam, and hadn't noticed he was right behind you. Both of you nearly toppling over, you saw that the kid on the skateboard that you saw earlier had also stopped running, shooting an annoyed look at you.

"Oi, old hag, watch where you're going!"

You ignored the blatant rudeness, instead scanning the ground for the little object - only to have it shoved right into your face by the other kid who ran into you. "Is this what you're looking for?" he asked cheerily, and you politely thanked him, pocketing the portable weapon and making sure it was secure this time.

"Thank you..."

The boy piped up to immediately introduce himself. "I'm Gon Freeccs, and this is my new friend, Killua!"

The skateboarder - Killua - made a face but didn't protest Gon's words, and you introduced yourself, the three of you starting to run again. "What is a kid like you trying out for the Hunter Exam for?" You didn't mean to sound rude, you were just curious, and thankfully Gon didn't take offense to it.

He explained to you he was in search of his dad, and you found it admirable, finding yourself smiling indulgently at the kid. He was somewhat like you, looking for a remnant of his past. You could resonate with that.

"I was just bored," Killua piped up. "And this seemed fun to take, but it's too easy."

You chuckled. "I don't know, it might get harder. Hopefully it won't be _too_ easy for you," you teased, shooting him a wink and a grin and causing him to stumble lightly before calling you 'old' again. The two kids were a breath of fresh air from all of the other stern candidates, and you found them quickly growing on you.

"Say, [Y/n], what was that thing you dropped earlier?" You were tempted to touch it again, but didn't want it to fall out of your pocket again. That would be a pain that you didn't want to deal with. You instead opted for a simple explanation.

"It's a weapon," you replied candidly. "I press a button and it extends into a metal staff." Gon let out an impressed "ooh!", and you could tell that he was about to ask to see it. Instead, you shot him a gentle smile and told him you could show it to him later if he was interested. Even Killua looked a bit intrigued, opting to not say anything.

Approaching a set of stairs, Gon and Killua opted to race each other and sped ahead, with you keeping up the steady pace. You were starting to sweat a little bit. Failure wasn't an option - sure, you didn't quite want to be here in the first place, but now that you were? You had to give it your 100% all, _especially_ since you'd never hear the end of it from Hisoka.

Picking up the pace a bit, you looked over to see a couple of guys conversing while running - one was shirtless and looked ready to keel over, but the blond looked collected still as the shirtless man talked about why he wanted to become a hunter. While eavesdropping wasn't something you were fond of, you couldn't help but listen to his admirable reason. When he was done, you butt in, shooting the two a smile.

"I believe you can do it."

Both men looked shocked at your interjection, but the glasses man quickly looked away and - wait, was he blushing?

Shaking your head slightly, Gon and Killua approached the three of you, greeting the two as Kurapika and Leorio. Which one was which, you weren't sure, but it was clear they were all acquainted already.

"I see you've met [Y/n]!" Gon exclaimed happily, and you gave them a nod, feeling somewhat out of place. This was kind of awkward.

"Oi, old geezer, you going to make it?"

At the quip, glasses guy blew up. "I'M A TEEN LIKE YOU GUYS!"

You would have fallen on the stairs if it weren't for the blond grabbing your arm and saving your face. Maybe saying it was a bad idea so you kept your mouth shut, but this guy was a _teen_?! He looked way older!

Thankfully, you weren't the only one shocked, and after a couple moments of just running and stunned silence, Gon and Killua hastily went ahead. You didn't pick up your pace, but you certainly didn't attempt to say anything else, either. Neither teen tried to include you in conversation, and that was fine. It allowed you to turn your thoughts inward as you ran, lazily wondering what the next section of the phase could be. A scavenger hunt? A battle royale? You weren't sure, but were already tense with anticipation.

Not having much longer to run, soon you all made it to the top of the stairs, bright light from outside assaulting your eyes and causing you to wince slightly. Even though it was foggy - immensely so - your eyes had grown accustomed to the dimly lit tunnels. Blinking a couple times, you attempted to get used to the change in scenery as the door behind you all closed, leaving one poor man behind and cutting you all off from going back. Now you had no _choice_ to go forward.

Shooting a quick smile at Gon and Killua, who were seated comfortable on the ground, you listened carefully as Satotz began to speak, explaining that this was still the first phase and that you all would do well to stay close to him. Great. More running.

"Don't let them fool you!"

A panicked voice made you jerk your head over just in time to see a roughed up looking man, one who wasn't wearing a badge or a part of your group. He continued to speak. "That man over there is an impostor - I'm the real examiner! Look at this!" Pulling out what appeared to be a dead body of a Satotz lookalike (if Satotz was a beast, that is), everybody started to question what was the truth. You didn't blame them - if it weren't for your ability to sense Satotz's nen, you would probably be on their side, honestly.

However, that was one advantage you _did_ have - the knowledge of nen. Shaking your head, you turned to your four new companions (was that the right word?). "Don't worry. We've been following the real examiner," you told them lowly.

The glasses guy shot you a suspicious glance. "How do _you_ know?"

Before you could even _think_ of how to dive into that, because there was no way you were about to explain nen, somebody else beat you to the punch. Signature cards flying through the air quickly struck down the newcomer while Satotz swiftly caught them. You didn't need to look to see who it was, and resisted the urge to drag your hand down your face. Of _course_ it would be Hisoka.

Shuffling the cards in between his hands, Hisoka was completely relaxed. "I see, I see... That settles it, then. You're the real one." Ignoring everybody as they gasped in shock, he continued. "Examiners are hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay. Any hunter would be able to block that attack."

A quick memory surfaced to your head at these words, from the time Hisoka first told you about the hunter exam. _That's right_ , you mused. _Hisoka tried for the exam last year and failed for attacking an examiner. He's going to get into trouble again - and good riddance to that._

Unfortunately, he didn't get into trouble, only getting off with a warning as Satotz then went on to explain the intricate dangers of the Numere Wetlands. Losing sight of him... Yeah, you weren't going to let that happen.

Swiveling around on his heels, without any further ado Satotz began to run again, straight into the trees of the swamp.

_This will be a breeze. Before I know it, I'll be a hunter, and one step closer to figuring out my past._


	3. Mahogany Allies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC stands up for Gon. The second phase goes awry.

You were a pretty mild mannered person. Friendly and polite, usually preferring to be in the background. But oh, no - not this time. And now look where that got you.

Gasping for air, your hands coming up to squeeze the clown's wrists before you, for a moment you thought you were going to faint. Or die. Hoisted in the air, with your feet dangling off the ground, you glowered at Hisoka, your eyes a striking scarlet as you burned with rage. He was unaffected, at least in the way you had hoped him to be. Instead, he groaned, a Cheshire grin lighting up his face.

"I forget," he hummed, "how much I _adore_ seeing that look in your eyes."

Thankfully, without further hesitation, he dropped you to the ground next to Gon.

You see, after you had lost sight of Satotz earlier, you were kind of wandering a bit aimlessly, trying to figure out where to go. That was when you stumbled upon a very much one-sided fight against Gon and Hisoka - Leorio (that was _glasses guy_ , the blond was _Kurapika_ ) was knocked out cold already.

You could have gone on. You could have ignored the fight. You knew what Hisoka was capable of, though, and fear for the younger boy getting hurt spurred you on to leap into action, just as his hand reached out towards Gon. In an instant, he had shoved the boy down and grabbed you by the neck, already cooing at your interference.

Rubbing your neck, which would surely be sore later, you glared up at him as he smiled, humming. "Don't worry. You all pass." You couldn't offer up an argument, coughing slightly as Hisoka pulled out a walkie-talkie, his face going serious for a moment. You didn't know who was on the other line, but according to them, the second phase was going to start soon. At these words, Hisoka offered the two of you another unsettling grin. "I'll carry your friend back. Surely, you two can make it back yourselves?"

Gon nodded, and without any more conversation Hisoka left the two of you.

God, you hated that jester so much. _And yet you came here because he suggested it._

Both of you getting up, Gon took a glance at your eyes, seeing the last glowing of red permeate through [e/c]. His own brown eyes widened. "You're eyes!"

You held up a finger to your mouth, winking at him. "Let's keep this a secret, okay?"

He looked thoughtful, and almost like he was going to protest it, but then nodded once instead. In response, you ruffled his hair. He was a good kid, and you trusted him to not go telling everybody else about your strange ailment. "We should probably head out if we're going to make it in time," you kindly suggested, and Gon nodded before glancing back. You followed his movements, seeing a familiar blond approach you all.

"Gon! And... [Y/n], right?"

By the time he had approached, your eyes had thankfully went back to their normal [e/c], and you gave him a polite smile. You were quick to debrief the explanation, and while Kurapika looked concerned for both you and Gon, the three of you didn't have time for idle chat.

"Let's go! I can follow the scent of Leorio's cologne!"

While following Hisoka back would be a non-issue, you found Gon's offer endearing and nodded. "I'll put my trust into you, then." Your words came out a bit teasingly, but nonetheless the three of you ran, careful of any possible traps.

"Say, what did Hisoka mean when he said we passed?" Gon asked after a moment of running, and you pursed your lips, thinking of that wretched clown.

"He was acting as judge," you replied disdainfully. "Hisoka is a.... tricky person. On one hand, if it weren't for him I probably wouldn't be at this exam, but at the same time, I feel like life would be much easier and less stressful if I could have gone without ever meeting him." You let out a wistful sigh, letting yourself imagine a life without Hisoka for just a moment. Total bliss.

Exclaiming loudly, Gon looked back at you with wide eyes, nearly stumbling. "You knew Hisoka before the exam?!"

Kurapika also looked intrigued, although thankfully wasn't as loud about it as you let out another sigh. "Yes," you admitted slowly. "About two years ago, when I first left my adopted parents' home and started traveling, I got jumped in a shady part of town. I... I couldn't control myself, and really injured the men. Nobody died, but Hisoka saw it and wouldn't stop pestering me about my fighting capabilities." You grimaced at the gruesome memory of that night. You hadn't lied - nobody died, but those men were close to it. You had been new to your nen, after all, and were still trying to control it.

"I told him I was trying to find memories of my real family, and he eventually told me that becoming a hunter would help me out and be in my best interest. I'm now starting to think that's a lie and that he's just jerking me around," you ended wryly, lips turning downwards. You weren't stupid enough to think you could stand your own against Hisoka, you were nowhere near that strong yet, but man would you want to beat him nonetheless if this was all for nothing.

Kurapika looked even more interested, raising an eyebrow over at you. "'Memories of your real family'..." He echoed your words thoughtfully. "Does this mean you can't remember them?"

You shrugged. "I don't have any memories from before I was 13. No clues about my past either. Just the area I was found in, and a peculiar ability." You didn't elaborate more on your eyes, or the province you were found in and grew up in. Maybe if you had more time, you might, but before you could even open that can of worms, the three of you reached a clearing where the other applicants rested in. Off to the side, Leorio was just waking up, leaning against a tree and rubbing his face painfully.

"That really stings..." You heard the older man grumble as the three of you approached him, and you couldn't help but wince sympathetically. Under any other circumstances, you'd heal him with your nen ability, but how would you explain that? Not to mention, having other people not know your capabilities put you at an advantage. Right now, only one person knew of your nen ability, and even Hisoka didn't know the full extent of what you could do, only the destructive parts of it.

"Up and at 'em, sleeping beauty," you teased as you and Kurapika helped Leorio to a stand, Gon getting his attention stolen from Killua for a short second. It was a strange group, but you had a feeling the five of you may be teaming up more often than originally planned.

While Leorio wondered what exactly happened, Kurapika leaned over to you. "Probably shouldn't tell him what happened."

You giggled slightly and nodded, smiling. "I agree. Let's just leave it at that."

Before any more conversation could take place, Satotz's voice run through the air, commending everybody for their hard work before he took his lead, the doors opening and making way for phase two of the hunter exam.

* * *

Cooking. The second phase was _cooking_.

Standing awkwardly by the stove as everybody else was apparently confused at what to do, you chewed on your bottom lip nervously. You could cook decently enough. After all, you had survived on your own for the past few years. But good enough to impress Menchi and Buhara, the next examiners?

Yeah, you weren't _that_ confident.

After having had to catch the violent and bloodthirsty pigs, you started to slowly prepare your meat. It seemed nobody else knew what to do, as applicant after applicant failed. You, Leorio, Kurapika, and Gon, stood by awkwardly.

"They're judging us by originality and observation," Kurapika pointed out, and immediately you watched Leorio stick a flag in his roast pork and bring it up to the judges.

_Oh god... They're hopeless._

You were quick to realize it wasn't just the applicants, though. Menchi had her mind made up - most likely than not, nobody was going to pass the exam. The man from earlier had quite clearly pissed her off, and she had made the exam much harder than it needed to be. You gathered the pork and made a decent pork roast, even including a side salad, but instead of bringing it up to the examiners, you started to dole it out for your new friends.

"Aren't you gonna give it to them?" Gon asked, confused, not quite taking the plate yet. You gave him a soft smile, shaking your head once.

"I have a feeling this exam has been purposefully made difficult, so no. I'd rather make sure we all have the energy to continue," you pointed. They looked skeptical, but all took plates nonetheless, the five of you digging in. It tasted good - really good, honestly. It was sort of a waste that you weren't going to even try to tempt Menchi, but it's not like you had extremely strong feelings about being a hunter right now, anyways.

You weren't the only one thinking this, apparently. After the food was long gone from his plate, Kurapika came over to you, his voice low. "You probably could have passed. Why did you do that?"

He seemed more curious than suspicious, and you spared him a side glance. "As I said earlier to Gon, I don't think this test was made fair. I didn't want to expend any energy on something useless."

"But why make food and share it with us?"

Ah, so he was suspicious, at least a bit. Snorting slightly, you turned so you could look him square in the eyes, clearly amused. "Because we're friends. Right?"

Kurapika regarded you seriously for a moment, before shaking his head out of exasperation. He didn't give you an answer, instead saying, "You and Gon both are much too nice. We could wind up being enemies, and you're helping us?"

Enemies? Yeah right.

You voiced as much. "I doubt we'll be enemies, but even if we do become enemies... Well, if we ever fight, I'll just let you win. Okay?"

You were just further exasperating the teen, but before he could reply back Leorio jumped into the conversation, catching Gon and Killua's attention as well. "Hey, hey, none of us are enemies! Right? Right! So stop being so pessimistic!"

The older man's levity was just what you needed, and you giggled slightly before humming. "You're right. In a place like this, allies are - oh?"

Before you could even finish your sentence you felt a strong presence from above and jerked your head up, just in time to see a much older man drop from the sky...?

Wait, what?

_What?_

You didn't recognize him, but you didn't even need to use gyo to see that this guy's aura was insane. He was somebody powerful, and you shifted in place, your muscles tensing as the dust around you all settled. Everybody else was just as surprised, and he looked around once before his gaze settled on Menchi and Buhara.

"Who's that geezer?" Somebody asked as Menchi's face went passive, the teal-haired woman stepping forward.

"That's the Chairman of the Selection Committee - Chairman Netero. He's in charge of the hunter exam..." You're eyebrows raised slightly as you appraised him again. Not that you knew a lot, but if he's in charge of the hunter exam... Wouldn't that also make him the chairman of the Hunter Association? No wonder why this guy was so powerful?

The old man spoke up, a somewhat goofy smile on his face. "Ah, I usually work behind the scenes! I only take action when there's an issue - like now." You didn't move, but you saw Menchi shift, as if she knew she was in trouble. "So Menchi," Netero started, "You failed all of the applicants because you disapproved of their reluctance to try new things?"

Menchi hesitate, but kept eye contact. "No, sir... I lost my cool when one of the candidates insulted gourmet hunters. I made the exam unnecessarily hard."

"In other words, you're aware that this exam was unacceptable."

"Yes, sir."

You shot your new friends a look. So you were right earlier - Menchi had no plans on passing anybody, no matter how hard somebody tried.

In the end, after a bit of hashing out, it was decided that the second phase would be repeated, with Menchi participating in it this time. It was probably a good thing that you fed yourself and your friends. Who knew what would be awaiting on that airship to get there, after all?

Running a hand through your hair, you let out a sigh. Hopefully, whatever was to come, you'd just make through it.


	4. Rusty Patience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC spends some time with Kurapika. Hisoka gives a cryptic warning. The third phase draws nearer.

The airship was decent, and the trip to Mount Split-in-Half was fairly short as you all had found yourselves standing at the edge of a dangerously seep ravine. The test had been simple - jump into the ravine, hang off a web, grab a spider eagle egg, and then float back up with the draft. Perhaps it was a bit daunting, but in the end you had managed to pass along with your other four friends. And the result? Probably the most heavenly boiled egg ever, and you weren't even a _fan_ of eggs.

From there, it was back to the airship, which was were you currently were. Watching fondly as Gon and Killua ran off, you had a small smile. Despite their determinations and fighting skills, at the end of the day they were still kids. You wanted to help them as much as you could throughout this exam.

"Would you both mind if I stayed with you all?" Truth be told, you didn't mind Leorio and Kurapika's company - it was certainly more preferable than Hisoka's or anybody else's on this ship. 

Leorio gave you an incredulous look. "Do you gotta ask?" You took that as a 'yes' and gave them a relieved smile, subconsciously fingering the pendant around your neck. Leorio's attention was diverted. "Man, I'm hungry! You think there's food on this ship?"

You giggled, and the three of you walked to where the cafeteria supposedly was. After having a big meal earlier, and then the egg, you weren't too hungry and opted for your favorite fruit. A few other applicants were milling about, but for the most part it didn't seem like there were many people in here, allowing you three to grab a table separated from the rest.

"Say, [Y/n]," Leorio said, in between bites. "What's up with that gaudy necklace you're wearing? Seems pretty important to wear to an exam like this." Despite the blunt words, you took no offense, offering a smile.

"It's... A remnant from my past," you stated carefully. Years of practice allowed you to conceal your emotions enough where your eyes wouldn't burn, save for outbursts like with Hisoka or your nightmares. You didn't want to scare your new friends off, after all! "I don't remember anything before I was 13, save for this amulet and the owner. The owner... I believe he's responsible for killing my family and entire village with his group.

I fell off a cliff trying to run away, and when I woke up... It was all over. I couldn't remember anything at the time, and a couple of traveling merchants took me in," you ended your story serenely, as if you had told a simple fairy tale instead of a tragic past. Leorio scratched the back of his neck bashfully, looking away. He was clearly embarrassed for asking something so personal. Kurapika, however...

He looked conflicted. Saddened. Empathetic, as if he could relate all too well your struggled. You gave the two a passive smile. "Don't worry, it was a long time ago, and as I said, I don't remember any of it. I only remember the killer's face... And one day I will find him and avenge my family."

Kurapika's eyes met yours. "I, too--"

He was interrupted by an annoyingly sweet voice. "Ah, [Y/n], there you are~" Kurapika and Leorio looked behind you in a well-deserved mixture of disgust and annoyance. You didn't need to turn around to see who was bothering you now, and you let out a long-drawn sigh.

"What do you want now, Hisoka?"

The man behind you hummed, and you twisted around in your chair to give him a displeased look. "I'm serious, Hisoka. If you're not here to give me any information on why I needed to be here in the first place, I _really_ don't want to see or talk to you right now."

Despite your rude tone, Hisoka was unperturbed, offering you a sly smile instead. "Why [Y/n], I thought we were friends?"

You grimaced. "No offense, but I didn't believe somebody like you could actually be friends with anybody."

The jester just hummed, and you gave Kurapika and Leorio an imploring look. Hisoka wasn't going to let up, and clearly wasn't going to let you continue your conversation with your two friends. With a heavy-hearted sigh, you finally stood up, bowing slightly to the two still sitting. "I apologize, I'll have to talk to you all later. It's obvious that he's not going to leave until he gets what he wants." Your voice was laced with annoyance, and you could tell Leorio and Kurapika both had a lot of questions for you.

Why did Hisoka have to make your life so difficult? Could you have at least a couple moments without him?

You asked as much when you two had walked down the hall, your arms crossed in displeasure. "I'm serious, Hisoka. There is no point in me being here, and I didn't forget what you did back in Swindler's Swamp."

The jester gave you a wide grin, leaning casually against the wall. "I'm wounded, [Y/n]," he started casually, "If you're a hunter, you'll have access to all the data in the world. Isn't that what you need?"

If that was his reasoning, you were going to disintegrate him on the spot.

Exhaling through your nose, you once again begged for patience. Hisoka didn't let you say anything, anyways. "Besides, it'll do you some good to get beaten up a bit. After all, it turns out you're not the only one with scarlet eyes here..."

 _This_ got your attention as Hisoka started to walk away. "Wait, what? What does that mean?"

"I'll see you later, [Y/n]~"

He turned the corner and you ran forward to chase him, turning the corner - and finding nothing. You weren't a vulgar person by any means, but you certainly had a few choice words for Hisoka right now.... Especially with that kind of hint. Somebody else with eyes that turned red? Could they be from the same village?

You couldn't find it in you to go back to Kurapika and Leorio. Not only were you thoroughly irritated with Hisoka, but you wanted some time to go over that cryptic hint. 

_Somebody else with scarlet eyes..._

Who was it? Could they be the key to your past that you had been so desperately looking for?

Eventually, you had found an empty room to reside in for the night, not having run into Kurapika or Leorio again for the remainder of the trip. You hoped you didn't worry them, but you were just too caught up in your thoughts right now to try and carry on any type of conversation. 

Hopefully they would understand, and you allowed yourself to drift into a light slumber knowing it would be wise to get as much rest as you could.

Unfortunately, tonight was not one of the nights you were allowed a reprieve from your nightmares. Like always, you woke up prematurely, sweat gathered on your brow. Images flashed before your eyes - blood, glass, _that face_. It was always there, always haunting you.

You needed a breath of fresh air.

Exiting the room, you found a window and pressed your face against the glass, reveling in the coolness of the glass against your feverish skin. Your eyes were red and puffy - you had likely been crying in your sleep, and your stuffy nose only furthered that theory. Your eyes fluttered closed. Just for this moment, you wanted to focus on the cool glass.

"[Y/n]?"

The voice that called out to you was soft. You weren't sure how long you had drifted off for, but you were a bit bleary eyed as you slowly turned your head. "Ah, Kurapika." Your voice was hoarse, and you inwardly winced.

"What are you doing - is everything okay?" Concern laced his voice, and you offered him a genuine, albeit tired, smile. 

"Just a nightmare. Happens all the time."

He frowned, and you allowed your eyes to drift towards the window again, taking in the inky darkness below. "What are you doing up?" you asked in return, changing the subject.

In the window, you saw Kurapika's reflection grimace. "Leorio snores. Loudly."

You stifled a giggle at the reason, feeling a bit lighter. "I'm sure it's not too terrible. If you'd like, my room has an extra bed." The words fell out of your mouth carelessly, and it was only a moment after you spoke that your face reddened at your boldness. Quickly, you tacked on, "I-If you want! I don't mind, and it's important to get your sleep during this exam when you can..."

Gods you were embarrassing.

You were too bashful to meet Kurapika's gaze directly and instead watched his reaction in the reflection. His cheeks were flushed, and you were entirely certain he was going to turn you down before he spoke up.

"I... I'd prefer that."

You let out a minuscule sigh of relief, standing up and stretching your arms outward. "Probably should get back, then. I don't know how long we'll have left."

Kurapika nodded, and the two of you headed back to your room without any further talk. The walk seemed to stretch on forever until you finally made it back, and you gestured towards the unused bed. "Feel free.... Or something like that."

Thankful that you didn't disintegrate anything in your most recent nightmare (as _that_ would have been a treat to explain to Kurapika), you settled back in. Did you say anything, or just go to sleep?

It felt awkward, and you had to fill the silence. "Goodnight, Kurapika."

Your back was facing him, and for a moment you wondered if he was sleeping. He was silent for a few seconds.

". . . Goodnight, [Y/n]."

A tiny smile graced your features as you allowed your eyes to close again, falling into a slumber.

This time, there were no nightmares.

* * *

Standing atop a plain looking tower, you and the other applicants looked around in dismay. You tried not to look over the edge, but couldn't help it - immediately, you were regretting it. It was dizzying, being so high up, and you backed up quickly. They weren't expected you to climb down this thing, right? Granted, you could probably dissolve the wall to create hand and foot holds, but one misstep...

You gulped. Let's not think about that.

"Ahem," Beans started, "Everyone, the exam's third phase will start here, at the top of Trick Tower. To pass this phase, you must reach the tower's base alive. Your time limit is seventy-two hours. With that, we will now begin the third phase! Good luck!"

You grimaced. You were probably going to need all the luck you could get.


	5. Crimson Prisoners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunter Exam's third phase begins in Trick Tower. MC has to hold her own.

"One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

All five of you - you, Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio - jumped, activating the trap doors to get into Trick Tower. The two younger kids were the one to crack the code (or door, so to speak), finding five trap doors in the same area.

As your feet hit the ground, you felt it shift underneath yourself and braced for impact as you deftly landed on the ground in a crouching position.

"Oh?"

Looking up, you were pleasantly surprised to see that you all were in the same room.

"That was a brief farewell..."

You snorted at the astute observation, glancing around. The room seemed bare, save for a small pedestal with five watches on it. A sign hung over it, and Gon walked over without a word to investigate, the rest of you all following shortly behind.

"'The five of you must follow the will of majority to reach the goal'..."

You all picked up a wristwatch, looking at the time and the buttons. An X and an O... "Do we vote with these buttons, then?"

A disembodied voice spoke up. "That is correct!"

You all jumped and glanced around, before zeroing in on the intercom speaker that hung high on the wall. "I am Lippo, the prison warden here and your examiner for the third phase. Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared - you have chosen the path of majority rule. Cooperation will be key if you wish to clear this phase of the exam. One person's selfish behavior can derail the entire group - so I suggest you all use teamwork. Best of luck!"

The intercom went quiet, and you all glanced at each other.

_Earlier... Did Lippo say prison warden or was I just imagining things...?_

A panel started to slide up, revealing a door after that explanation, and you all approached it cautiously. "Press 'O' to open the door, and 'X' to keep it closed..."

Unanimously, everybody obviously pressed 'O', and the door slowly opened. It led to another room with two paths, this sign asking if you all wanted to go left or right. Without discussing, everybody pressed a button on their watches, revealing three for going right, and two for going left.

"W-wait a minute, why would you guys choose to go right? We should go left!" Leorio exclaimed, and you tilted your head. You picked right because it seemed like the smart choice - people tended to go left when lost, so why not do the obvious?

Kurapika was on the same wavelength as you as he spoke up, confirming your thoughts - and causing Leorio to be confused. "Wait, which way did you all pick?

"Right," Kurapika said.

"Right," Killua copied.

You gave Leorio an apologizing smile. "Right," you confirmed. If the examiner expects us to go left, knowing this information... That path would probably be longer."

You followed the two others, leaving Leorio and Gon to follow after. For a hot second, there weren't any choices - just a long wall with sconces along the side, dimly lighting the corridor. After a couple minutes of silently walking, the five of you tense, you arrived at a platform, revealing a deep abyss. You peered down, grimacing. You didn't want to know how deep that went.

There was a large chasm to get to the other side - in the middle of the large room was another square platform with candles in the corner, set up like an ancient, almost barbaric arena. Or fighting ring.

"What is this place?"

You were half listening, analyzing the distance between here and the square platform. Even using nen to enhance your legs, you didn't believe you could make it. Maybe it you were an enhancer, but as a transmuter? No _way_. Forget about it.

"Look over there."

Killua nodded to the other side, and your eyes gazed over to watch five people in cloaks step forward. You did not have a good feeling about this. On instinct you reached into your pocket to grab the small metal canister you always had. You had a feeling you might be needing it.

"The applicants have arrived. Remove the shackles."

Uh, shackles?

Lippo spoke up through the speakers. "Allow me to explain - before you are some of the prisoners of Trick Tower. The hunter exam committee has also officially hired them as examiners - you'll be fighting against the five of them. The fights will be one on one - each person can only fight once. You are free to use any method you like, and there will be no draws. A win is declared when an opponent admits defeat."

A buff man whom had stepped forward spoke up, a cocky grin on his face. "You can pick your order. It's majority rule, so secure three wins and you can pass."

"Majority rule again?" Leorio complained, and you tried to get a better look at the other prisoners to no avail. Too far away, too dim.

Killua shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "At least it's straightforward. I like it."

"The fights themselves will not be so simple," Lippo told you all. "The prisoners' sentences will be reduced by one year for every hour they delay the applicants here. In other words, their goal is to buy time."

You grimaced. Who _knew_ what these guys had done?

"Time is going to be critical in these fights," Kurapika stated, glancing at his watch. You nodded.

"If possible, we need to win and end our fights as soon as possible."

Everybody else agreed, and the buff man grinned. "Alright! I'm up first - choose your fighter!"

You all looked at each other, and before anybody else could speak, you stepped forward. "I'll go."

The guys looked at you in confusion and worry. "There's no telling what tricks this guy could have up his sleeve, [Y/n]!" Leorio protested, and Kurapika promptly agreed, his face grim.

"Exactly. Trust me when I say I have the most fighting experience - please allow me to go, and that way we can see what we're up against."

Killua eyed you skeptically, before shrugging. "Let her go." Gon nodded in agreement, and you shot the two boys a grateful look. Kurapika and Leorio weren't entirely on board, but the only way to protest would be to hold a voting, and it was clear it was three against two. They were reluctant, and you watched as a little path emerged, connecting you and your opponent to the stage.

Setting your backpack down, you calmly walked forward. None of these guys knew nen - you couldn't let yourself get cocky, but it certainly put you at an advantage. You also doubted that the prisoners were allowed weapons, and while you didn't want to assume, it was safe to operate with the assumption that it would be hand-to-hand combat. You could easily incapacitate him if you needed to.

When you both met in the middle, the paths retracted, and you bowed politely out of habit. "I'm [Y/n]. I look forward to our fight." 

The man grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Bendot. I propose a death match - it'll be a shame to kill a cute thing like you, though."

You kept your face neutral at his words, resisting the urge to grimace. A death match? You didn't want to kill anybody, especially if you used your nen. It just wasn't something that you felt you could cope with. However, this guy could be a murderer, so maybe it was justified?.. No, that didn't sound any better.

Behind you, you could practically hear your teammates' frustration.

"A death match? That's insane?!" Leorio shouted.

You held up a hand to silence him. "I accept," you agreed, getting into a stance.

 _Steady and calm wins the race... You're going to have to get over your morals, because right now, it's you or him... And you can't die without figuring out your past_ , you aggressively told yourself.

Bendot grinned, also getting into a stance.

"Ready..."

"Go!"

Bendot leaped forward, wasting no time as you heard your friends call out for you from behind. He was fast for a normal person, but you had the startling realization that this match was _totally_ unfair. It wasn't his fault you were out of his league! Swiftly ducking, you extended your rod right when he was over you, the metal staff shooting up and hitting him clean in the stomach. Bendot let out a large 'oof', getting thrown off course, and you took this time to quickly roll away and retract the staff to put back in your pocket.

Standing on opposite sides of the arena, Bendot stood up, his eyes narrowed. "What was that?" He asked, and you gave him an innocent look.

"What was what?"

He wasn't getting riled up like you wanted him to, but that didn't matter. Instead, he got into stance again. This time, you both lunged forward at the same time, with you on the defensive as he threw punch after punch. You were sure that without hardening your body with nen, those punches could hurt - however, defense was your specialty, and hatsu aside, you were certain you could minimize the damage. Fighting, however... Well, you were not good with enhancing your strength with nen. You doubted it would come down to it, though.

Waiting for an opening, you finally found one as he reeled his arm back. His stance was too wide, leaving him too open, and you were quick to extend your staff again, this time hitting him underneath his jaw. The force of impact made him topple backwards, and this time you made no attempt to conceal the staff as you twirled it around your hand. You heard Leorio and Gon let out exclamations, but weren't paying attention to what they were actually saying.

"A cheap trick, huh?" Bendot stood, massaging his jaw and glaring at you. You sent him a genuinely apologetic smile.

"You didn't specify the rules, so I figured this was fair. However... If you'd like, I could just beat you with my hands." Okay, so maybe you were being _just a bit_ cocky, but you were fairly certain you were going to win. Bendot, however, looked outraged finally. You didn't blame him, considering you weren't taking him seriously.

He viciously lunged forward, and you started to take small steps back while avoiding the assault, hyper-aware of the ledge that grew closer. Just a bit more... And a couple more steps...

Just over the ledge, as your friends were shouting at you to be cautious, you ducked under Bendot's arm and pivoted around him. He had no time to turn around, and almost toppled over.

_Almost._

In the blink of an eye you reached out and grabbed the back of his shirt, preventing him from falling as he let out a sharp yell. You kept your face passive, glad that your back was turned to the others so they didn't see the small smile that had crept up your face.

"What the hell?!" Bendot exclaimed, trying to regain his balance and footing, only to fail.

You hummed. "A death match you said, right?" You tilted your head. "That sure looks like a _long_ drop. I'll give you two choices. I either drop you here and win the match, or you forfeit and allow me to win. It's up to you."

Bendot's tough act had dropped. "You wouldn't have the guts."

You pursed your lips, allowing his shirt to slip again just enough to startle him before latching on again. He let out a spew of vulgar names and curses, and you ignored them. "Do you _really_ want to risk that chance? I will do whatever it takes to pass this exam, so you really do _not_ want to test me."

For a moment, Bendot was silent. Then he conceded. "Okay, okay, let me up. I yield."

With a little effort, you managed to hoist Bendot back up and regain his footing before you stepped back, bowing politely. "Thank you for this match."

The man observed you, shaking his head. "I underestimated you, little girl. You're pretty scary."

You said nothing more, offering a small shrug before turning around and walking back to your friends. They all stared at you with raised eyebrows, and Leorio was understandably the first to break the silence. "Are you secretly a thug or something?!"

This earned a full out laugh from you. "No, no! I'm just use to fighting. My teacher..." You trailed off, a fond smile coming to your face. "She's crazy strong, and I had to fight a lot while under her wing." The others nodded, still looking at you as if you had grown a second head. They probably did not expect for somebody like you to win so easily, but that's okay. You weren't really trying to show off your skills or impress anybody.

Killua looked over at your former opponent. "It's a good thing that you ended that quick... Most likely he would have crushed your windpipe and then tortured you to draw out time." You shivered at both his words and the nonchalance that delivered them.

"Er.... I didn't think of that possibility," you admitted with a grimace. If that had happened, you would have definitely disintegrated him.

Kurapika's face was grim as he looked on. "They're trying to buy time. We need to finish these matches as quickly as we can." You all hummed in agreement.

"Well, now we just need me and Kurapika to win, and we're good to go!" Leorio grinned, and you shook your head. What about Gon and Killua?

The next prisoner began to step forward, his hands and feet blue underneath his cloak, and Kurapika quickly stepped forward before anybody else could offer.

"Alright, I'll go next," he decided, and you watched as they both met on the platform, the blue guy finally taking his cloak off. You grimaced at his appearance. He was _definitely_ a sight for sore eyes. With a number of hearts tattooed on his chest, no nose, mismatched eyes and an overall Frankenstein's monster-esque appearance.

The man started to laugh, throwing his arms up. "I'm Majitani, and I'm up next!"

"That's one freaky body," Leorio stated.

Killua nodded in agreement. "And face..."

Majitani either didn't hear them or promptly ignored him as he pointed to his chest. "Look here! I've killed 19 people, but 19 is such an uneven number... I'm so glad to have gotten to meet number 20."

You scowled. You couldn't help it, and felt your fists clenching up. _Come on Kurapika, I know you've got to be strong enough to beat this guy...!_

Kurapika didn't flinch, didn't move, and you could only imagine the stoic expression he had on his face as he took in Majitani's appearance. "I insist we put our lives on the line!" Majitani yelled, before laughing maniacally again. "I'm not going to accept some half-assed contest! Blood! Entrails! _Agony_!"

Majitani's laughing was getting _really_ annoying, and you furrowed your eyebrows. For somebody who apparently wanted death so bad, he had a very apparent lack of bloodlust. Kurapika seemed to also catch on as he accepted the offer without hesitation, causing Majitani's laughing to halt. Thank god.

Majitani's fists clenched, and you quirked an eyebrow upwards. Yeah, this guy had to be bluffing. "In that case, I propose a death match, where one of us dies or surrenders. However, don't expect me to stop when you try to surrender and beg for your life!"

Once again, the brute began to laugh again, and thankfully Kurapika agreed immediately, taking his tabard off.

"Let's begin."

This was more amusing than frightening now as you watched Majitani stare at Kurapika, dumbfounded that the boy wanted to fight. You, standing closest to Killua, looked down at him to gauge his reaction. He seemed bored almost, and as if he could sense your stare, looked up at you.

"What?" He asked rudely, and you chuckled.

"You don't seem phased. You also know he's bluffing?"

The white-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Only an idiot wouldn't notice. I've faced off against way scarier guys." You sent a side glance to Gon and Leorio who both seemed more serious. You wouldn't call them idiots, but, well... They certainly weren't caught up to the bluffing act.

Majitani held out a hand, face serious. "One more thing - no weapons allowed. I'm still a prisoner and can't have a weapon on me, and that's the only reason why that girl won her fight," he said, and you narrowed your eyes. Was he insinuating you were weak?

Kurapika reached behind him and pulled out the wooden nunchucks he had tucked in his waistband, throwing them to the side as well.

"Anything else?" he asked. "Because I'd like to get started."

Majitani started to flex, still not looking very scary to you (or the ever-so-unimpressed Killua), and you sighed. 

Well, let the next match begin, you guess.


	6. Scarlet Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MC connects some dots. Kurapika kicks ass. Leorio is a pervert.

Watching as Majitani flexed, you could sense Leorio's uneasiness. "Is Kurapika going to be okay?" Leorio wondered, and you crossed your arms, shrugging. You didn't speak up. You didn't need to, actually, because Gon was the one who replied.

"We don't need to worry," he said decisively. "When I look at this guy, I don't get chills."

Gon's observation was surprising to you, and you smiled at the small boy while Leorio questioned what he meant. Perhaps you didn't give him enough credit.

Majitani was finally done yelling and flexing, looking up to meet Kurapika's eyes. "It's time to show you the ace up my sleeve!" He yelled. "Prepare to die!" The blue man launched himself up into the air, his fist coming down as Kurapika jumped back defensively. Where Majitani's fist hit the ground was a small hole, debris from the stage landing around Kurapika. You watched, unimpressed. Just what was Majitani trying to do? Scare Kurapika into forfeiting?

Turning around with ease, Majitani turned his back to Kurapika, revealing a strange tattoo. A spider with twelve legs - if you squinted, you could see a faint skull design on the main body. It was strange, and looked vaguely familiar. A watery thought that lingered in the way back of your mind bothered you, but you couldn't grasp onto the memory, just that you _had_ seen this tattoo before. Something was off about it, but you _had_ seen it before?

Not realizing how lost in thought you were, you muttered, "Where's the number...?"

The tattoo had also startled Kurapika, whom had visibly tensed.

Leorio's eyes widened, his face pale as a ghost. "A spider with twelve legs... That's from the Phantom Troupe!"

Gon looked up, not really disturbed. You didn't blame him - you don't believe you've heard of the Phantom Troupe before, after all. "Really?" He asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Nodding apprehensively, Leorio couldn't tear his eyes away from Majitani's back. "Yeah, definitely."

_The Phantom Troupe.. I haven't heard of them before, yet the name seems so familiar. It tastes bitter on my tongue..._

"They're infamous," Leorio continued. "I heard about them straight from Kurapika."

Your eyebrows shot up. Did Kurapika have a previous run-in with them? Was that why he appeared to be shaken?

Majitani grinned down at Kurapika as Kurapika stood up straight. "That's right, I'm one of the four kings of the Phantom Troupe!"

Something about that didn't sit right with you. You didn't know why, but information you swear you couldn't know was flooding your brain, and you shook your head, ignoring the strange look Killua was giving you. "They don't have four kings, only the head is the leader..."

"Yo [Y/n], you having a fit or something?"

Killua's voice snapped you out of your stupor, and you looked down at him, frowning slightly in thought. "The Phantom Troupe... I think they may be connected to the memories I've lost," you admitted, catching Leorio's and Gon's attention as they both let out exclamations. "But... It's just a feeling. I'm not sure."

"This is your last chance to surrender!" Majitani shouted. "Consider this - huh?!"

Kurapika looked up, and whatever expression he was wearing was enough to startle Majitani, the man faltering. If the Phantom Troupe had hurt Kurapika or had damaged his past in some way, you could only imagine the look of rage that would probably be on his face. In an instant, the blond disappeared, only to reappear right in front of Majitani. Without any hesitation, he reached up, grabbing the man's jaw and lifting him off the ground. You whistled, impressed.

_Dang, he's got some hidden muscles!_

All the bravado that Majitani previously had was now gone as he started to stammer. "O-o-okay! I get it! I surrender!"

This wasn't enough for Kurapika as he reeled his fist back, punching Majitani straight in the face and pummeling him into the ground. It was hard enough to make Majitani bounce off the ground, landing face down as Kurapika leapt back. Killua whistled as well, a smile on his face at the show of strength. Oddly enough, you felt your heart leap in your chest. You would _not_ have expected that from Kurapika of all people!

"Take this as a warning," Kurapika started. "First, a real Phantom Troupe member has the member's number on the spider. Second, they don't bother counting how many they killed. _Third_ , never mention the Troupe again. If you do, I'll kill you."

Kurapika finally turned around, facing you all as he went to grab his tabard and nunchucks, and you couldn't stifle the gasp from your mouth. It wasn't because of the violence, or his expression, but the color of his eyes.

They were a burning scarlet red.

Your own eyes widened, your heart stammering in your chest at the sight. Even now, as he walked slowly towards you all, you watched as his eyes faded back to the usual light silver, but you couldn't get rid of that scarlet image out of your mind.

Hisoka had been right.

"I-is it safe to be near you right now?" Leorio asked, taking a step back. You couldn't say anything, staring at him, dumbfounded. Kurapika raised a hand to his face, letting out a self-deprecating sigh.

"Yeah," he murmured. "I knew from the moment I saw him he was weak. And mentally, I knew the tattoo was fake..." His expression was downcast as he looked downward. "But as soon as I saw the spider, everything in my sight turned red..."

He was shaking a bit, barely noticeable. It was clear that the sight had really done a number on him, even if it wasn't real, and you had to wonder what had happened to him. He, like you, had scarlet eyes... Was he really the key to your past you've been waiting for? Was it possible that the Phantom Troupe, whom had done something to cause Kurapika to be this way, was also the cause for your own family and village's death?

"To be honest," Kurapika said, "Even when I see a real spider, my personality changes and I go into a frenzy." You all stared, dumbfounded. Talk about arachnophobia... And you all were jumping into that spider eagle's nest! You've never seen a spider eagle - and honestly, you hoped to never see one - but you could only imagine how spider-like it would be... Would Kurapika have freaked out at the sight?

"You should have told us sooner..." Leorio said, and Kurapika walked past all of you, sitting on the ground with his back up against the wall. 

"It's okay, as long as the rage in me stays as strong as ever..." He rested his head on his legs, and you looked back to see Leorio step forward for the next fight. You knew that you should cheer him on, but... Those _eyes_....

Gon gave you a serious look. He knew, all long, you realized. When he saw your eyes, he must've seen Kurapika's earlier and had made the connection. You had been foolish to brush him off, and you gave him a small nod before walking over to Kurapika, hesitant. His body language said that he wanted to be left alone, but you couldn't.

"Kurapika," you started softly. "Earlier, your eyes..."

Kurapika cut you off, his voice muffled as he made no attempt to move his face. "Not now, [Y/n]..."

You faltered. You wanted to persist, wanted to find out, but you knew that you couldn't push him either. Instead, you hummed in acknowledgment, before walking back, your own face thoughtful and grim.

Scarlet eyes... Were there more people like you? What did it _mean_?

Somewhere, beneath the surface of your memories, you started to grasp more things. A scarily buff man with a loin cloth and a number 11 spider tattoo on his back. The piercing eyes of the bandana man. Your mom's--

Your thoughts were interrupted by Gon, who had tugged on your sleeved to get your attention. You didn't realize you had been tightly clutching the amulet you wore, and you could feel the burn in your face that suggested your eyes might have turned red. Killua saw the look on your face and let out a small "whoa!", realizing you and Kurapika had the same ailment.

You closed your eye, attempting to calm yourself. "Let me tell him," you muttered softly to them. "Please." It was a wonder your voice was so calm, given the confused sea of emotions that bombarded your thoughts, but you managed. The two boys nodded, and you tuned into Leorio's "fight" in an attempt to distract yourself.

You had missed something important, though, as Leorio was still standing there, annoyed. "Yo, Kurapika, go finish that guy off!"

"I refuse."

Kurapika's answer came immediately, and you looked confused. "What...?"

Gon was quick to fill you in, and your gaze drifted back to Majitani. 

Leorio wasn't having it, however, and looked more frustrated than ever. "We only have so much time left! Just do it!"

"I'm not going to kill someone!"

You stepped forward, somewhat hesitantly. "Hey," you started gently. "I understand you want to get on with this, we all do. All of us want to pass and become hunters, but you can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do," you explained. "Taking a human life..." You looked down at your hands, face grim. "It's something that stays with you forever. It's not right to force somebody to kill another being.

"Majitani was on the verge of surrendering... Let him wake up, and he'll surrender. Okay?"

Leorio was still irritated, and sensing his discontent, you were quick to offer up a solution. "Besides, he may already be dead... I think we should check, as well. We can't take his word - after all, they're all trying to buy for time."

Everybody looked up at this, and Leorio pivoted on his heels to look back, his expression still annoyed. "Hey, we want to check the body!" He shouted, and the guy stepped forward.

"I already told you - he's unconscious." Oh, that wasn't a guy like you had assumed - the voice was femininely and almost irritatingly high-pitched.

"And we're supposed to take your word for it?!"

The person took a step forward. "Then let's make a bet," she said, still concealed, and all of you shifted.

". . . A bet? On what?"

"On whether he's dead or alive. We can wager with time - our match can be a betting game." You had a bad feeling about this, and started to warn Leorio off, but he was clearly dead set as the woman began to explain the rules and terms of their match.

Kurapika had gotten up during this time to join you all again, his expression serious. "Consider her proposition carefully," he warned, and you nodded.

"If you lose... That'll be 50 less hours for us."

"You're one to talk!" Leorio raged at Kurapika. "We're in this situation because you wouldn't finish your own match!" Kurapika was not willing to argue on this again and turned away, crossing his arms.

"Fine, do whatever!"

You and Killua watched helplessly, looking between the two as Gon jumped in. "Hey, we shouldn't fight among ourselves!"

Fueled on by Kurapika's attitude, Leorio started to walk forward. "Alright, I accept!"

You wanted to face palm, and resisted the urge. This wasn't going to end well.

The first bet was on whether Majitani was dead or alive - Leorio bet alive, and was right.

"This isn't good," Killua pointed out. "What if he doesn't wake up before the exam ends?"

You wanted to agree, and Leorio placed his next bet on whether or not Majitani was _truly_ unconscious, or just faking it. It was smart - if he was awake, he could surrender and therefore Kurapika's match could truly be concluded. The unnamed and unrevealed woman bet 20 hours on this one, and you watched in interest, leaning forward slightly.

Dragging Majitani to the edge, you watched with raised eyebrows as it was revealed that Majitani was actually awake - and very upset now.

"You people are crazy!" He concluded, steaming. "I'll take the loss - forget the sentence reductions, it's safer in prison!"

You couldn't help but snort at that.

The next match was on whether the woman (who removed her cloak and revealed herself as Leroute) was actually a man or a woman, and you scrunched your nose in disgust as Leorio bet that she was a man so he could examine her. On instinct, you turned Gon and Killua away, none of you wanting to watch that disgusting pervert.

"The dishonor..." You grumbled once everything was done. Kurapika nodded in agreement, sharing your sentiment completely. You all were going to fail, and for what? Some pervy old man?!

In the end, Leorio wound up losing, giving you all fifty hours less to complete Trick Tower, and putting you all at a score of 2-1. Stepping forward was a scrawny guy, and you sighed, Gon jumping up at the chance to go.

Oh well, you just hoped that Gon would secure the third win for you all. And then, after...

You could finally talk to Kurapika about the scarlet eyes.


	7. Garnet Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killua reveals he's an assassin. The start of a 50-hour wait time begins.

"Me! I wanna go!" You smiled indulgently at Gon as he raised his hand high, resisting the urge to pat his head. He was like the younger brother you've never had!

Leorio looked down, clearly put off that he had lost but still concerned for Gon. He sort of reminded you of a dad. "Are you sure? He doesn't look that strong, but you can't let your guard down."

Gon nodded enthusiastically, and stepped forward, both meeting on the platform. The guy introduced himself as Sedokan as he began to talk.

"As you can see, I'm not that strong. I don't like sports or any physical activity," he said.

Gon shook his head. "I do! I'm not good at using my head, though!"

"As I thought," Sedokan said, making you snort. Was he implying he thought Gon was an idiot? Probably. "So I have a simple game for us to play. We each pick a candle, and whoever's goes out first loses."

The 12-year-old tilted his head. "A game...?"

Sedokan nodded, holding out the candles. One long, and one short.

"Now... Choose which candle you'll want to use."

It was obvious one of the candles had been tampered with, and now it was being decided on majority rule? This was quite the dilemma, and you all looked on seriously.

"You decide, Gon," you called out. "I'll pick whatever you pick. I trust you."

Kurapika nodded in agreement. "We'll abide by your decision!"

Killua, however, wasn't as positive, looking at you two skeptically. "You sure about this? He never really thinks anything through." Killua had a point, however, you all were going to just be wasting time if the five of you kept arguing and debating about it. Sure enough, Kurapika was thinking the same thing, practically voicing your thoughts.

"Okay!" Gon said, turning back to Sedokan. "I choose the long one!"

 _Somehow, I don't think he chose that for the reason why we think.... I'm pretty sure he chose that simple because it should burn longer than a shorter one._ Nonetheless, you followed his decision, and all five of you pressed the "O" button to vote for Gon's candle.

"This wait is going to be excruciating..." You murmured.

Kurapika nodded in agreement. "Normally, a candle like that would take five to six hours to burn through." You all looked at your watches, and you winced. Six hours of doing nothing? Good thing you had a book in your bag to read.

You didn't have time to grab the book as wind started to gust around you from below, whipping your [h/c] hair everywhere as both Gon and Sedokan attempted to protect their candles. Well, no book for you, then. You'd have to keep a vice grip to make sure the pages didn't tear from the hearty gusts of wind.

"You're planning something bad," Gon said, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Or else your candle would go out first!"

Sedokan chuckled, shaking his head lightly. "No, I won't do anything," he reassured. "Besides, I've already taken steps to ensure that I would win." As if on cue, Gon's candle began to burn faster, almost uncontrollable.

"You dirty cheat!" Leorio hollered. "You tampered with the candle!"

You frowned, shaking your head. "No, he wouldn't chance something so 50-50... Both candles were probably tampered with, and he probably had two others hidden for himself," you said, and watched as Sedokan's eyes narrowed. "I'm right, aren't I?"

The brunet grinned. "You may be, but it doesn't matter. That candle has a maximum of three minutes before it's done." You gritted your teeth. There was nothing you could do, nothing _any_ of you could do, but it was frustrating all the same to just stand and watch all of this go down.

 _Come on, Gon... Think of something! There's got to be_ something _that you can do!_ Perhaps it was unfair to place that kind of expectation on the kid, but you had a strong belief in him. Sure, he may be considered simple-minded, but sometimes the simplest solutions were the best ones.

All of a sudden, the brunet tensed. Gon's back was facing you, so you couldn't see his face, but you had a feeling the kid was grinning. He thought of something.

"If the candle is stronger," Gon started, setting the candle down, "then a little breeze won't extinguish it!" Gon sped forward, and Sedokan had no time to react as the 12-year-old quickly blew out his candle. You sagged in relief, an overjoyed look on your face. That was nerve-wracking to say the least, but you were glad - Gon had secured your last win!

Or not.

Sedokan, while surprised at first, nodded over at Gon's candle. "Close, but it looks as if your candle finished before you blew mine out." Sure enough, Gon's candle had completely melted. Just a couple seconds later, too, and it would have been your third win!

Gon was disappointed for sure, but took the loss well and nodded once, walking back and rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry, next time for sure I'll win!"

You weren't sure there was going to be a next time, but it was the thought that counted. Even with Leorio's raging, you couldn't find it in you to be mad at all, and you finally gave in to the urge to pat Gon's hair. Despite looking very spiky, it was actually pretty soft!

"It's okay, Gon, you tried your best!"

The kid was still disappointed, and you didn't blame him. Your score was now at 2-2, meaning that everything depended on Killua's match.

You had faith in Killua. Leorio, however, did not. "Now we're relying on Killua! I should have at least won my round..."

Killua, whom had already started to walk across, turned back, clearly mad. "Oi, this guy is really pissing me off!" he exclaimed, Gon holding up his hands in a placating manner. "Don't assume I've lost when we don't even know what the contest is." Then, looking away, Killua admitted, "if it's mental math or something similar, though, I'm surrendering."

The last prisoner walked forward, and you all watched as he dragged his hand across the wall, ripping out the stone. A chill went down your spine as he took his cloak off.

Those eyes... They were totally and utterly soulless. Leorio gasped, a cold sweat breaking out over his face. "W-we should take the loss," he said, his voice sincere. All of the earlier rage and insistence was all gone, sapped out of him. "That's Johness the Dissector, the worst mass murderer in Zaban history. 146 people were killed by his hands - young, old, men, women. All of them dead by his bare hands."

You hadn't heard of him, but you trusted Leorio's gut feeling. If he of all people was serious, this guy was truly crazy, and you pursed your lips as Killua started to step forward, undeterred by the small history lesson.

"Hey, did you even listen to me?!"

The 12-year-old walked forward without a care in the world, his hands in his pockets, and you hummed. You were worried, but... "Let him go," you decided. "He most likely has a plan in mind."

With the two in the middle now, the paths disappeared, and you watched with anticipation. "How are we doing this contest?" Killua asked nonchalantly.

Johness' expression didn't change. "I believe you are confused. This will be a one-sided massacre - I have no interest in this exam or the offered amnesty. I just want to hear your screams."

Killua shrugged, his hands still in his pockets. "Okay, cool. So loser is the one who dies?"

Finally, Johness' expression changed, faltering for a moment. ". . . Yes. Loser is the one who dies."

In an instant Killua zipped forward. Even without nen, he was extremely fast, and it was only due to your training that you followed his movements sharply. He had torn out Johness' heart, and you couldn't help the surprise that took over your features as your eyebrows shot upwards.

What in the ever-loving hell did you just witness?

Johness turned around before falling, Killua placing the neatly wrapped heart into his hands as he started to walk back, clearly pleased with the outcome.

Leorio was the first to speak up amidst the shock. "Who is he?!"

Gon turned to you all. "Oh, right, you didn't know! Killua comes from an elite family of assassins." You choked on your spit from the casual way Gon said it, and you appraised the silver-haired boy.

Assassins, assassins... Tapping your nose as Killua approached you all, you hummed. "Killua, you're not a part of the Zoldyck family by any chance, right?"

You were met with an incredulous look as Killua looked at you. "Wait, how do you know?!"

That was a good enough answer for you. Grimacing, you shook your head. "I used to game a lot when I was younger, and a guy named Milluki would harass me on this one MMO we played together..."

Killua nodded, deadpanning. "That's my stupid older brother, I can't believe you had to deal with him!" You felt a bead of sweat roll down your face. At least Killua was nothing like that stupid creep...

"W-wait, you know Killua's family?!"

You shrugged, letting out a small sigh. "Small world, isn't it?" No other conversation could be carried as a panel opened up in the side of the wall, revealing a new path. Securing three wins, you all were allowed to pass on - after waiting for the 50 hours that Leorio squandered. Lippo spoke up and said as much. "This is the room you'll spend your 50 hours that were gambled in." Nothing else was said, and your shoulders slumped slightly.

That left about 10 hours to finish the exam... If this wound up the reason that you failed, you were going to kill Leorio.

"Well, let's go," Killua said, starting forward. Gon enthusiastically followed, and the three of you that remained exchanged more dejected and serious looks before following as well.

The room was well furnished, with a bookshelf, refrigerated, and a tiny room off to the side - probably the bathroom. You sighed as the door closed and locked behind you all.

"We're to spend 50 hours in here?!" You didn't want to point out that this was Leorio's fault in the first place as you leaned back against the door.

50 hours. _50 hours_ in this tiny room. Well, you might as well be productive. Turning to Kurapika, memories of earlier came up and you avoided eye contact, debating. More than anything, you wanted to question him on his eyes, you wanted to soak up all of the information you could! However... It wasn't fair. It wouldn't be fair to either you or Kurapika to distract yourselves during this exam, and despite having 50 hours, you knew that wasn't going to be enough time to process everything.

For now . . . For now, you were going to keep quiet. After the exam, you could talk in depth about it, but you couldn't afford the distractions. Not right now. It was a hard decision for you to make, especially since more than anything you wanted to know about your past, but you couldn't let that cloud your judgement. As apprehensive as you first were about taking this exam, you had invested too much time and energy to let yourself fail now.

"[Y/n]?" Kurapika called out to you in concern, and you masked your face like you were so used to doing, finally meeting his eyes again with a soft smile.

"Sorry, just lost in thought." Before Kurapika could bring up the subject, you stretched your arms above you. "Think there's any food in this place?"

Yeah, you were just going to have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this fic is actually finished on quotev so i'm gonna upload all the chapters here today for you all <3


	8. Ruby Hours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the third phase goes mostly smooth. You open up about an ability.

"Hey Killua, can you explain how you did that technique earlier?"

It had been only 10 minutes, and already you were bored out of your mind. Your book that was in your bag had lost it's appeal due to a frustrating plot twist that pissed you off, and you weren't really in the mood to check out the bookcase in the corner right now. Mostly, you just wanted to think, so you were currently sitting upside down on the sofa, your legs hanging over the back of it as your [h/c] hung down over the seat, brushing the floor.

Killua's face didn't change, and you glanced up out of interest. Everybody looked kind of funny, upside down. "Oh, I just ripped it out," he said casually. "But to make it easier, I changed my body a bit." Holding up his hand, Killua grinned as his fingernails instantly sharpened, veins jutting out of his hand. You resisted the urge to cringe at the bulgy veins. Leorio, who had been moping on the couch next to you sat up, startled.

"Your nails..!"

"Mass murderers are still amateurs. _I_ used to be a professional. But my old man would've done better, when he removes a heart there isn't even a drop of blood.

"As expected of the Zoldyck family, they're the best of the best," you sighed, and Killua shot you a grin before him and Gon went off to mess around, Leorio collapsing back on the couch. Gon came over to you and you made no attempt to move, glancing up as he stared down at you with furrowed eyebrows. It was strange to see such a carefree kid look so concerned, and you matched his expression.

"When are you going to tell him?" Gon's voice was low enough to where Kurapika, who had moved onto the bookshelf, couldn't hear. You let out a small sigh, pursing your lips.

"After the exam," you told him, your voice resolute. "We can't afford the distractions, especially if it's just some freaky coincidence. It wouldn't be fair to either of us."

Beside you, Leorio and Killua were both obviously eavesdropping, the former being extremely confused since he hadn't seen anything about your eyes. You didn't plan on telling him - the two kids, you could trust. But Leorio? That teen had quite the loud mouth, and even now, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"Oi oi, what are you two whispering about? Tell who what?" Leorio exclaimed, earning Kurapika's attention as the blond looked over, somewhat interested if only to see what exactly was going on.

You were quick to make up a lie, offering the man a small smile as you finally pulled yourself up to sit up right on the couch. "I didn't want to tell you this," you said, "but your fly was down during all of the fights earlier," you said. Sure enough, as luck would have it, Leorio's fly was down. In embarrassment, the raven-haired man jumped up and quickly pulled up his tie, muttering underneath his breath as everybody laughed at his reaction.

Thankfully, Gon didn't say anything more and left it at that. Killua, who also knew, just wasn't as interested in your personal problems as the other kid was, so you knew he wasn't going to bug you about it or say anything to Kurapika. The next couple of hours, you all hung around doing different things. Gon and Killua had a pillow fight, Leorio almost got _wrecked_ when Gon had a mishap on the skateboard, you read and played video games, and Kurapika kept to himself pretty much the entire time.

50 hours turned to 40, 40 hours turned to 20, 20 into 10, until there was only one hour left. All of you were antsy, waiting around for the time to finish up so you all could speed through the rest of Trick Tower. Not that being here stuck with these four goofballs was a _bad_ thing, per se. Honestly, you didn't think there was anybody better to be stuck with. If you were here with Hisoka or somebody else? You might not be so patient.

However, with each second that passed by, you were reminded that was a second you couldn't get back to pass Trick Tower. Wanting to ease your boredom, and keep yourself distracted, you had handed over your staff to Gon to practice with. He had accidentally held it too close the first time he extended it, hitting himself in the face on accident.

"Hey, [Y/n]! I finally mastered the skateboard!" You smiled as Gon rolled around all wobbly, and you nodded as he hopped off, picking up your staff. "I can also twirl this now!" Sure enough, he started to twirl it - and then lost control and accidentally hit Killua in the back of the head with it. You couldn't help but burst out into laughter as Killua told Gon off.

"Oi, idiot, watch out with that!" He exclaimed, Gon a mixture of apologetic and laughing as he said 'sorry'. You went over and took your staff back, carefully retracting it and putting it into your pocket.

"You'll get the hang of it someday," you reassured him, all of you turning back to the clock. So close...!

Stretching your arms out, you started to clean up the place on habit, not wanting to leave it too messy for whoever was going to be forced to clean the room. Kurapika started to help you silently, the two of you making short work of the mess.

"Ah, almost there!" Startling you out of your cleaning focus was an enthusiastic Gon, pointing at the timer. The two on it made you jolt, blinking a couple times. Two minutes left and you all would be free!!

You all gathered by the door, excited to continue. The last two minutes were the longest, until finally you all were free to continue on with the third phase. It was filled with various obstacles, until the five of you finally made it to the last choice.

"A long and difficult path where all five of us can go... Or a short and easy path that would require us leaving two behind..." You frowned, examining the two doors. Leorio stepped forward, his face serious.

"I'm going to say it now... I'm pressing 'X', and I'm planning on being one of the three to go ahead."

Gon shook his head, piping up as well. "We made it this far together, we should stick together still! I'm going to press 'O'!" He declared, Killua crossing his arms.

"That's not even a risk. We should pick 'X', and the two of us can make it," he shared, looking at Gon when he said "the two of us". Everybody started to bicker, and you held your hands in front of you, chewing on your lip. The doors would be locked until you all chose, but...

Stepping forward, you tried to speak up. "Guys--"

"I'm not getting left behind! I'm going to pass this exam no matter what!" Leorio yelled, and you tried to speak up again, feeling a bit exasperated.

"I have a--"

"You think _you_ 'll manage to get through? You're the least likely of us to win in a fight!" Killua exclaimed, his nails sharpening. You sighed, deciding to just go through with your idea as you approached the 'X' door, putting your hand on it. Focusing your nen, you felt the metal start to dissolve underneath your palms, a metallic smell hitting the air. It took a moment for the others to notice.

"W-wait, what are you doing?!"

You ignored Leorio's question, stepping back and allowing your nen to do the rest of the work. Slowly, a hole big enough for everybody to go through had appeared, the metal melted on the edges. You gestured to the door, clear exasperation on your face. "Problem solved?"

Leorio was stammering as Killua let out an impressed whistle. Knowing they were going to ask how, you had a lie already up to your sleeve, thanks to Killua's little trick earlier.

"Kind of like Killua, I can manipulate my body temperature to go really high," you said, the lie easily falling from your lips. Leorio shook his head, clearly confused but deciding not to argue. He was first to step through, saying that there was no time to waste as Gon and Killua followed after. Kurapika approached, waiting for you to go through.

"It's a good thing you were here to solve that dilemma," he said, and you shrugged, a small smile on your face.

"Just luck, I guess. Or fate."

Stepping through the door - and pleased to see that the path was actually a narrow slide - you and Kurapika were the last to go, sliding down the chute. Much like the choice said, it took about three minutes tops, and you couldn't help the enjoyed look on your face as you all sped down.

Last to step out, you half-payed attention to the voice up ahead. "Number 111, [Y/n]. 26th to pass." You all made it just in the nick of time, and during your scan of the room you met Hisoka's eyes, staring at you knowingly. You kept your face passive, instead looking down at the eager Gon. Before any of you could talk, a door on the opposite side of the room opened, daylight streaming in as you all were instructed to leave the tower. You followed suit, tense.

Was this a part of the third phase, still, or the start of the fourth phase?

Standing in front of you all was a man with a purple mohawk and round glasses, and when he spoke, you quickly deduced that this was Lippo from his voice. "Ladies and Gentleman, congratulations on passing the third phase. All that's left is the fourth phase and the final phase. The fourth phase will take place on Zevil Island," he said, pointing his thumb behind him to an island in the distance. "Now, I'm going to have you all draw lots."

A teen around your age (at least, he _looked_ around your age) with a quiver on his back spoke up. "Lots? For what?"

Lippo grinned, his glasses glinting like straight out of one of those TV shows you watched as a child. "To determine who will hunt, and who will be hunted."

Aw, shit.


	9. Cardinal Tricks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have a conversation with Hisoka. You form an alliance.

After everybody drew lot numbers (with you pinning your badge on the inner part of your waistband so it was secure and nobody would see the number), Lippo instructed everybody to remove the seal off their card. You couldn't help the pout on your face as you didn't recognize the number.

#118. Who was #118?

Lippo began to explain the rules, saying to pass you needed 6 points. Your tag was worth 3 points, your target's was worth 3 points, and any other tag was 1 point. You were going to be given one week to complete the fourth phase, and honestly? That was certainly enough time for you.

Boarding a boat, everybody split off, and you found yourself split between Gon and Killua and Leorio and Kurapika. After a bit of arguing with yourself, you chose to go over to Gon and Killua, mostly because the former had been unnaturally serious since he looked at his number. Sitting down, it seemed like the boys were just getting ready to reveal their numbers to each other.

"Oh, [Y/n], we were going to reveal our targets at the same time!"

Killua looked a bit agitated by Gon's easy admission, whacking him upside the head. "Idiot, what if one of us is her target?!"

You gave them a reassuring smile, pulling your card out to show the number on it. "Don't worry, neither of you are my target." Both boys looked at your card with interest, Gon and Killua both looking at your card, confused.

"Who's that...?"

Killua mirrored Gon's question and you sighed. Oh well, you'd find out eventually. "I don't know either . . . Who did you boys get?"

At the same time, Gon and Killua flipped their cards over, and your smile died down as you looked at Gon's number. No wonder the boy was so serious - he was in for a bad time, and you felt a wave of sympathy wash over you for the kid. Killua recognized it right away, too, and his expression grew somber as both boys looked over to the owner of said number.

Number 44 - Hisoka.

Suppressing a grimace, you tried to stay lighthearted. "Don't worry, Gon. I have a feeling that you can do it," you tried to reassure. You weren't oblivious, though. The 12-year-old was shaking, and you tried to change the subject, hoping to distract him. "Killua, I think you've got one of those identical brothers," you said, the silver-haired boy lighting up. You frowned, glancing over at them. "I'm not sure which one, though..."

Killua grinned, leaning back. "Oh, this will be easy, then." He averted his eyes to Gon, who was still not completely paying attention. "Gon," he called out. "Are you happy? Or scared?"

". . . Both, I guess."

You hadn't expected that answer and your eyebrows shot up at the younger kid's honesty. You had a feeling he would do just fine - besides, for better or worse, Hisoka had an interest in him. As long as that interest stayed, no way Hisoka would kill him. Not that Gon or Killua would know that.

Standing up, you gave them both an indulgent smile. "I know you two will pass, so I'll see you later, alright?" 

You walked off to let them talk by themselves before the boat docked, leaning against the side to look out at the ocean. A light spray of the water misted your face, the smell of salt infiltrating your senses, and you allowed yourself to relax for a bit. This... This was peaceful. You knew a week on the island would be rough, but you were used to slumming it in the wild, and you'd be able to reach your target quickly, you were sure.

Nobody else came to bother you for the rest of the ride, and you were left to enjoy the sun and the gentle breeze until the boat docked.

"We are here at Zevil Island!" Speaking up was a chirpy lady - she had spoken before, but you hadn't really paid attention to her words. "Entrants will disembark in the order which they finished Trick Tower - we will wait two minutes before sending the next applicant. You will be on the island for one week - during that time, you must amass your six points of ID tags and return here. Now... Can the first person step forward?"

You frowned as Hisoka casually walked off the boat, not a care in the world. Slowly, one by one, the ship started to empty, each applicant disappearing into the forest. Soon enough, you were the last one left, and you quickly left, darting into the forest. It was bad enough that you didn't know whose target you were. Knowing your luck, you'd get that creepy needle guy, Gittarackur, or somebody equally as bad. 

Shaking your head, you tried not to think about it. Right now, you needed to find _your_ target, or it was a moot point anyways. Once you found him, it would be a piece of cake - finding him, though, was the hard part. He had plenty more years of experience over you, and it was clear by now that you were not the best at finding things. This became even more apparent when the day had passed you by and you hadn't run into a single soul.

"This island is a bit bigger than I originally thought," you murmured, climbing up a sturdy looking tree. Finding a branch that was extraordinarily thick, you leaned your back against the tree and allowed yourself to fall in a light sleep. You had a feeling you were going to need the rest.

The next day you had awoken bright and early, eating one of the apples from your bag that you had taken from the hotel. Today you were going to stick from hopping between trees. You didn't feel comfortable sticking around on the ground, and the higher view gave you a better advantage. Using _zetsu_ to conceal your presence, you hopped from tree to tree until you stumbled upon somebody, nearly stumbling. Your falter had been just enough to grab the man's attention as his eyes flicked up, and knowing you had been caught, you jumped down.

"Hisoka," you greeted, raising an eyebrow at the fact that he didn't make an attempt to hide his tag. You pointed out as much. "Not afraid of your tag getting stolen?"

He gave you a look that suggested that was a stupid question, and you sighed, shifting on your foot. "You knew about Kurapika."

It wasn't a question, and Hisoka's widened grin only proved you right. When you said nothing else, no further elaboration, Hisoka was quick to catch on. If possible his smile grew even wider. "You didn't tell him about your eyes?"

Hisoka was finding amusement in your struggles, it seemed, and you pursed your lips. "I will... After the exam. I can't afford a distraction when I'm so close to passing, and neither can he."

Shrugging, the jester pulled out a card to flip around, his golden eyes never leaving you. "Ever the thoughtful person, [Y/n]~ Are you sure you just don't _want_ to know now that you have the chance?"

He was goading you, and you shot him a sharp look and chose not to answer. You didn't even have to think about his question to know that he was wrong - more than anything, you were desperate to know. _You_ just happened to have self-control.

Turning around on your heels, you shook your head. "I'm going off. I still have my target to catch."

You sensed the bloodlust that Hisoka directed at you immediately, and reacted upon instinct. Your hand reached up, grabbing the card he threw at you and disintegrating it immediately. You didn't get away completely free, as the card had managed to cut your hand before you could use your own nen on it. It was shallow, but stung terribly. You swiftly turned around, your eyes a scarlet from rage. Just as quickly as it had come, the bloodlust had disappeared, and Hisoka gave you an impish smile.

"Best of luck, _[Y/n]_.~"

You were quick to leave, making your way back up into the trees and bolting off.

Just what was that about?! There was literally no reason for him to do that other than to get a rise out of you, and you clutched your chest, feeling your heart beat erratically. That stupid clown... Oh, one day you were going to wipe that smug grin off his face!

Stopping after a few minutes to make sure there was some distance between the two of you, you started to carefully dig through your bag, pulling out ointment and bandages. While you could use _that_ to heal your hand, the cut was really not that deep. It was a waste of nen, and you've had way worse. Used to bandaging wounds, you managed to wrap your hand up pretty quickly before storing the supplies back into your backpack and heading on your way, keeping your eyes and ears open for anything out of the ordinary.

"Man, I haven't seen a single person in the last two days!"

You silently stopped, hearing the other familiar voice as you looked down. Right below you was Leorio, and it seemed like he hadn't noticed you yet. A rustle in the bushes, however, caused him to bolt up, brandishing a pocket knife.

"Who's there?!"

The bushes rustled again, revealing another familiar face. Tonpa. You leaned forward, intrigued.

"It's just me," Tonpa reassured Leorio, raising his hands up to placate the teen.

Leorio scowled, clearly not a fan of Tonpa. "Don't tell me your target is...!"

Tonpa started to panic, waving his hands around. "Now wait a second, calm down! You're not my target!" Pulling out a card, Tonpa showed him what must have been a different number than Leorio's. Leorio relaxed a bit, still suspicious but not violently so as Tonpa let out a small sigh. "Good thing I didn't throw it away. Fighting people who aren't my target is a waste of time and energy."

Leorio scowled. "[Y/n]'s your target?"

You raised your eyebrows in shock. Well, _that_ was something you weren't expecting. If you were Tonpa's target, you didn't really have much reason to be worried.

Tonpa laughed nervously, shrugging. "Unfortunately." Realizing that Leorio was still scowling at him, he started to back up, panicked. "Don't tell me I'm your target?!"

You shook your head, shaking with silent laughter. Oh, if only they knew.

Leorio sighed, pulling out his own card. "Unfortunately, you're not. Number 246."

"Ponzu, huh?"

You didn't recognize the name Tonpa said, and Leorio started, clearly surprised Tonpa knew. Realizing he had the advantage, Tonpa grinned. "I can fill you in on all of it - I just need one favor." Immediately, he grabbed his stomach. "I think I ate some bad fruit earlier, and my stomach has been cramping. You want to be a doctor, right? Do you have any medicine?"

Leorio studied him for a moment before sighing, bending down into his briefcase. You leaned forward slightly, furrowing your eyebrows as Leorio dangled the briefcase out of Tonpa's reach. Getting the gist, Tonpa began to draw Ponzu in the dirt, explaining who she was and her capabilities. You listened with mild interest - on the off-chance you ran into her, it'd be wise to know how to counter her, after all. You doubted you would, but again, it would be safe to know.

Once Leorio had heard enough, he had started to open the briefcase to get medicine. And that's when you sensed it - another person. In the blink of an eye they had leapt out to attack Leorio and you tensed as the teen managed to jump out of the way.

_Not yet... Wait just a bit more..._

Leorio's tag flew out of his briefcase as a monkey went to grab it, quickly jumping over to the guy that had attacked him. Slowly and stealthily, you pulled your extending staff out of your pocket, ready to fight. You were still unnoticed - you needed to wait for the right time to jump in and help Leorio out.

Tonpa took medicine, a cocky grin on his face. "I should probably mention that you _were_ my target. We switched cards."

Your eyes darted over to the monkey man. So you were _his_ target, not Tonpa's.

Sensing Leorio's rage, the two scattered, with the monkey man jumping up into the trees. "Tonpa, we'll meet at our usual place!" He shouted before jumping in the opposite direction. You had to make a split-second decision. With Leorio chasing after Tonpa, you were quick to follow after the other guy, concealing your presence all the while. After all, Leorio may have been Tonpa's target, but it was the monkey guy who had Leorio's tag.

 _You better be grateful for this,_ you wryly thought.

Dropping your _zetsu_ , you finally made yourself known, the monkey man looking back and grinning, coming to a stop.

"You're my target," he stated, and you hummed, a small smile on your lips.

"Is that really something you should admit so soon?"

Both of you jumped at each other at the same time, and you were quick to keep an eye on his little monkey, swinging yourself up higher into the trees at the last minute to avoid the monkey trying to get on you. Swinging over the branch, you flipped over it, effectively hitting monkey guy in the face. Unable to keep his balance, he fell through the trees and onto the ground. You quickly jumped down, hearing Leorio yell in the distance. 

Monkey man was most certainly down for the count. He had some potential, sure, but up against a more experienced fighter, and a nen user? He'd need a few years before he could take you on. Grabbing Leorio's badge, you rooted around and pulled out monkey guys' badge too, your face lighting up immediately.

"Ah, so you were my target too. I guess I got pretty lucky after all..."

Leorio caught up with you, quickly followed by Kurapika. "[Y-Y/n]?!"

You smiled softly, tossing Leorio back his badge before brandishing the monkey guy's. "Turns out, this man right here was my target all along. Sorry I didn't jump in earlier, I was in the trees the whole time," you admitted, bowing slightly. Leorio shook his head, clearly surprised but not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The three of you were quick to tie up the monkey guy and his monkey, the other two leading you back where they had stranded Tonpa. You winced at how beat up Tonpa was - he _did_ deserve it, but dang that looked like it hurt.

"Are you two a team?" You asked once that fiasco was done with, the two looking at each other before nodding. You were quick to follow up. "I know I already have my badge, but mind if I tag along to help Leorio retrieve his? I need some other way to spend the rest of my time here," you reasoned.

Kurapika took a moment to respond. "I don't mind. From what I've seen, you're a capable fighter." You beamed at the compliment, and Leorio backed Kurapika up, saying how with you three on a team, you guys were unbeatable... Or something along those lines.

Bouncing on the balls of your feet, you stretched your arms above you, feeling unusually energetic. "We might as well get going now, then. We have exactly four days to find Leorio's target!"

And so was the start of your alliance with Leorio Paladiknight and Kurapika.


	10. Maroon Dangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You avoid confrontation. Leorio takes a plunge.

"So now that I know who my target is, how do we find her on this giant island? Isn't walking around a big waste of energy?"

With the sun now set, the moon illuminating the sky, you, Kurapika, and Leorio were all walking through the woods. You all were walking in a line - Kurapika in front, Leorio in the middle, and you in the back. It was probably the best formation, putting Leorio, with the least fighting capabilities, in the middle.

Sighing, Kurapika continued to look forward, but you could imagine the look of exasperation on his face. "Whining is an even bigger waste of energy."

You managed to hold in the giggle that nearly bubbled past your lips, lest you spark Leorio's ever-quick anger.

Thankfully, Leorio didn't rage. "You both already have six points, so you're finished, but I still need mine..."

"Not entirely true," you hummed. "We still have the chance of people trying to take our tags, whether they need them or..."

Trailing off, your spine straightened immediately. You hadn't sensed him right away, thanks to him most likely using _zetsu_ , but leaning up against a tree a few meters ahead was Hisoka, playing with a card in his fingers casually.

You hoped to _god_ that Kurapika wasn't his target, especially since you could tell he was pretty irritated right now. Lack of fighting? Boredom? Who knew when it came to Hisoka.

Stepping in front of the two, you attempted a cool demeanor, already getting ready to disintegrate Hisoka if it came down to it. Objectively speaking, you weren't entirely sure you could beat him in a fight. He had years of fighting over you, and had a way of getting you riled up and reckless. But could you buy enough time for Kurapika and Leorio to get away?

 _I shouldn't be worried about them. First and foremost, I need to pass this test and continue discovering my past_.

Even with these thoughts, you couldn't follow through with them. You liked Kurapika and Leorio too much to just abandon them, not to mention you still needed to figure out the secret behind your eyes and his - and, most importantly, if they were connected. They most certainly were, if Hisoka's insinuations were anything to be believed.

Pushing himself off the tree casually, Hisoka's eyes seemed to pierce straight through you. "You see," he started languidly, "I need two more points to pass. Could either of you give me your tags?"

You grit your teeth - none of you had tags to spare, and you most certainly weren't about to give up your tags to this freak. He seemed to have an interest in you, though. Could you use this to your advantage? You wouldn't quite call it a 'soft spot', but you knew he was interested in strong and capable fighters, and that was one reason he kept an eye on you. For your growth.

Beside you, Kurapika and Leorio came up and got in fighting stances, clearly prepared for whatever Hisoka was planning as the jester grinned.

"We're not your targets if you want any of us to give you our points," you said carefully, [e/c] eyes narrowed. "However, whether or not we are your targets... We're not going to give you our tags."

You were tense. You weren't sure how far you could push to see if Hisoka would be lenient with you. It was a dangerous game, after all, one that could end in your imminent demise if you weren't careful, and yet... You couldn't afford to lose, not here. You were close to passing the exam, and weren't going to let some jerk take it away from you at the last moment!

"You really won't? A pity." His voice said otherwise as his eyes scrunched up in glee, the card in between two fingers. Immediately, his aura thickened, and you took a step forward, holding your hand out.

"But!!"

He paused, allowing you to continue. While you wanted to keep your other ability a secret, you just as much wanted to make it out of this encounter alive. "I can heal you," you said, nodding towards Hisoka's shoulder. "You don't know all of my abilities. If I heal you and share my other one, will you let us go?"

It was a gamble even letting him _know_ you had another ability, but a necessary one. You knew that an injured shoulder wouldn't deter him at all, but the knowledge of knowing you had another nen ability that you had managed to keep from him? _That_ was something that would interest him.

And interest it did - Hisoka's eyebrows raised in surprise and he stared at you for a moment.

"'Heal'?" Leorio parroted, but you ignored his confusion for the time being.

After a moment of consideration, Hisoka's lips twisted upwards again. "How do I know you won't disintegrate me?"

"You can kill me immediately if I try."

Your response was immediate, and you could feel your allies tense beside you before Hisoka let out a small chuckle. Flicking the card up and making it disappear, Hisoka held his hands up. "Alright, I concede."

Hesitantly, you walked on over, every muscle at you screaming to get away from Hisoka. There was no choice though - if you backed out, you put the three of you in danger, and you weren't dumb enough to believe that even the three of you together could take on Hisoka. Using your nen, your hands hesitantly hovered over Hisoka's torn shoulder, and you avoided eye contact with him as your hands started to emit a pale yellow glow. 

You see, your nen abilities weren't just destructive - yes, you could disintegrate everything you touched, but that was only one half. The half Hisoka was aware of. To combat that, you had a completely opposite one: the ability to restore. To heal. You were tired of feeling like everything you did was destructive considering your nen ability had been accidental, and so you had worked hard to come up with the opposite one. Your abilities were like sun and moon, yin and yang.

This was your _Sun: Healing Light_.

Hisoka watched in fascination as his skin slowly and painlessly stitched together - by infusing your aura and enhancing it, you could regenerate the cells to heal faster, causing even deep cuts like the one on Hisoka's shoulder to heal in an instant.

Backing away, he rolled his shoulder, before his eyes flickered to you.

"To believe you've had another ability this whole time... You really _are_ something, [Y/n]." The way he groaned made you uncomfortable and you were quick to back up to be with Leorio and Kurapika again, eyeing him warily.

". . . I did what I promised. We're going to go now."

Without looking away, the three of you backed out of sight and into the woods. Only when Hisoka was out of your sight did you all start to run. After a few minutes, you all had stopped to gather yourselves and come up with a new plan, the three of you sweating. Not out of stamina issues, but for the fact that all of you felt as if you had just escaped death. In a way, you _did_.

"[Y/n], how did you do that back there? Where you closed Hisoka's wound?"

You grimaced at Kurapika's question, refusing to make eye contact. There's no way you could write that off as "manipulating body temperature", and no way were you about to explain nen to two rookies. Hell, you weren't really a pro yourself when it came to nen! Instead, you shook your head, your lips thinning.

"I'm sorry, but I can't explain it. I wouldn't know where to start, so please don't ask..." Out of the corner of your eye you saw Kurapika sigh before nodding, both men looking at you in confusion before you stood up, wanting to change the subject quickly.

"We better continue on if we're going to find this Ponzu girl," you pointed out, and Leorio jolted in realization that he _still_ had a tag to acquire. Grinning, he agreed, and the three of you began to walk again. There was no time to rest - Zevil Island wasn't gigantic by any means, but the cover of the forest would make searching for one person extremely difficult. A needle in a haystack, if you will.

And difficult it was indeed. Within the next four days, the three of you hadn't run into anybody else. Not Ponzu, not another applicant. It was easy to tell that Leorio was getting restless as the three of you trekked through the forest, and you let out a small sigh, breaking the silence that had already lasted for about a couple of hours.

"We can head back to the starting point?" You suggested, meeting both of their gazes. "While everybody is being cautious so they don't lose their six points, it's possible they are hiding out nearby."

Kurapika nodded, his gaze introspective. "We could go and scout the area. I know I would do the same."

The two of you shared a small smile, and Leorio nodded too, his earlier rambunctiousness absent. With the end of the phase looming over, it was only natural for him to feel uneasy. You and Kurapika were safe - you both had your six points. Leorio still only had three, though, and was at risk of not passing. You didn't blame his mood.

Unfortunately, when the three of you had arrived at the spot, there seemed to be nobody, much to your disappointment. You had a scary thought - what if Ponzu's tag was taken by somebody else? What if she had died and disappeared? It wasn't out of the question, and even if you guys did find Ponzu, it was possible her tag would have been taken by another applicant.

Hopefully that wouldn't be the case.

"We can split up and search around here," Kurapika suggested suddenly, nearly startling you. "We can decide on a time and place to reconvene at."

"It'd be easier with four people!"

Jolting, you turned around with widened eyes to see Gon jump from a tree. He looked a bit worse for wear, bandages wrapped around his wrist and his entire left side of the face swollen, but he also looked cheerful. 

_Did he manage to get Hisoka's tag? And how did he conceal his presence without knowing_ zetsu _or nen?_

Judging by his cheery look, he had gotten Hisoka's tag, something that surprised you greatly. It must have been after the three of you had your run in with the jester, and you couldn't help but sort of wish you had been there to see that.

"I guess we all had the same idea," Gon said. "I've been watching from up above, and a number of people are nearby."

You brightened immediately. "Gon, did you see a woman with a big hat?" You asked, glancing at both Kurapika and Leorio. "She's Leorio's target, and uses chemical weapons."

Gon shook his head, and you and Leorio visibly slumped. However, Gon didn't look put down, instead contemplating the options. "Hm... Does she have a specific scent? Like Leorio's cologne?"

You weren't entirely sure. You vaguely remembered Ponzu, but definitely had never gotten close enough to _smell_ her. Neither had Leorio, but Kurapika's eyes had widened in recognition.

"Can you smell the chemicals she uses?"

It was a long shot, but Gon was willing to try as he easily scaled a large tree by you all. Minutes later, he had come back down, telling you all that he had a whiff from the wind, and figured the smell was more towards the other side of the island. Not ideal, but it was your best shot, and after a moment of discussing, the four of you decided to go together, with Gon tagging along.

Walking alongside Gon as Leorio and Kurapika trailed a bit behind, you looked down at him. "Did you manage to get Hisoka's tag?"

You couldn't help your curiosity, and noticed how Gon's face dimmed a moment before he nodded. You figured there was more to the story, but now wasn't the time to ask, not when the four of you were so close to finding Leorio's tag. You wondered if the nasty bruise on his cheek was a result of Hisoka, or a different skirmish. Would he tell you if you asked?

It took a better part of the day to finally come to a stop outside of a cave - sure enough, you could detect a presence in there, and you were impressed that Gon had managed to track the scent across the island. Most certainly, you had underestimated the kid a bit.

"She's in there?" Kurapika asked in a hushed whisper as Gon nodded. "What do you want to do, then?"

Something about this was off - with the test coming to a close, for Ponzu to be in a cave like this was strange. Her being dead was out of the question - if she was, you wouldn't have been able to sense her. But there was nobody else in there. Was she trapped, or was _this_ a trap?

"I'm going inside," Leorio declared, only adding to your unease. You bit the inside of your cheek, debating. "You three wait here."

Picking up a stick, Leorio began to walk towards the entrance, leaving his briefcase with the three of you, and you sighed, looking over at the two who seemed just as tense and serious.

Moments later, Leorio came back, filling you in that he had checked for traps in the entrance. "I'm going on in - you three don't enter until I give the okay," he said, and you shook your head, stepping up.

"No, I'll come with you. That way two of us are in, and two of us are out." Leorio hesitated, and you pressed on, refusing to give in. "I won't even do anything. I'll be there just in case of backup."

Before he could respond, Kurapika piped in, just as serious. "If we don't hear anything back within 30 minutes, we're going to go in and make sure everything is alright."

Gon agreed full-heartedly.

"Unacceptable," Leorio stopped the three of you immediately. "If that happens, you _all_ go back to the start. [Y/n], I'm not risking your life to come in with me."

You pursed your lips. "You can't _stop_ me from going in," you pointed out.

"And I'm not accepting that," Kurapika tacked on. "We're a team - I'm not going to abandon you now."

"Then I quit the team. I'm not going to be selfish after all of the help you've given me, but I'll do this alone."

"No."

You watched helplessly as Kurapika and Leorio bantered back and forth, standing next to Gon and not really sure when to jump in, or if you should even jump in again.

"What did you say?!" Leorio asked, getting riled up again, and Gon spoke from beside you.

"We said _no_. We're staying here no matter what you say! Still got a problem?"

You looked at the three fondly, your gaze finally landing on Leorio with a soft smile. "That's what friends are for, after all." The words felt weird coming from you, yet completely natural. And true. You hadn't known any of them for long, but you hadn't felt this close to anybody since, well... Ever. You figured this _was_ what friendship was, and you weren't afraid to say it out loud as Leorio's expression wavered as if he was going to cry for a moment.

"Fine... Hold onto this for me, at least," Leorio asked, handing the briefcase to Gon before heading to the cave. You nodded at the other two, your smile a bit brighter.

"Thirty minutes," you repeated to them. "If you don't hear from us in thirty minutes, feel free to come in."

With that said, you turned around and followed Leorio, preparing yourself for the confrontation with Ponzu up ahead, and not knowing of what dangers may be lurking underneath the darkness.


	11. Burgundy Predicament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You pass the fourth phase narrowly. You answer some questions.

"You shouldn't have come with me."

Sitting in the cave across from Ponzu, you gave Leorio a dry smile. "And what, leave you to fend for yourself?"

You and Leorio had gone ahead in the cave, only to meet Ponzu - and a dead Bourbon, the former snake-charmer. It hadn't taken Ponzu long to explain the predicament you all had landed in. It seems that, before Bourbon had died, he had set up a trap with his snakes so nobody could leave this cave, right before Ponzu had killed him in some mysterious way she refused to disclose. Even with him dead, the snakes were still trained to let nobody leave or approach Bourbon, causing the three of you to now be trapped.

You were currently racking your brain for a solution. You certainly weren't going to dissolve the walls; that could just cause the cave to collapse in and kill you all. However, even you weren't confident enough to believe that you could make it past that many vipers. Even if you got bit and healed yourself, you couldn't extract the poison out. You could only heal flesh wounds - you'd be dead in minutes.

"The thirty minutes is almost up," you said, gnawing on your lip. "We need to tell Gon and Kurapika that they can't come in here. If they do, they'll be trapped, as well."

Leorio sat up with a start, eyes narrowing. "I'm going to get out."

"Please, don't."

Leorio didn't listen to your advice at all and started forward, the telltale danger of hissing hitting your ears.

Bolting up, you watched in horror as a dozen snakes had leapt out, and you found yourself unable to move for a moment before you had pulled Leorio back, taking his knife and cutting the snake heads off. In just the span of a few seconds he was covered head to toe in bites, and your hands hovered over him, unsure what to do. You could heal the bites, but...

Helping Leorio back, you shouted to the entrance. "Gon, Kurapika, don't come in here!" You couldn't let them get dragged into this as well. Already, your heart was pounding in fear for your friend as you gently laid him on the ground.

Minutes later, you heard footsteps, causing you to look up as Kurapika and Gon had both entered the cave.

"What part of 'don't come in here' didn't make sense...?"

Both seemed grim as they looked down at Leorio, and you spoke up, trying to keep calm despite the thrum of your heart pounding against your rib cage. "They're vipers. While their poison isn't too strong..."

Gon's face morphed into a grimness that rivaled your own. "He's been bitten too many times."

To your complete and utter surprise, Gon then picked Leorio's arm up and started to suck on one of the wounds, spitting out the venom. You hadn't thought of that, but there were too many wounds for you all to do that!

"Stop that... If you have any cavities or open wounds in your mouth..."

"I can heal the bites, but I can't do anything about the poison," you told them. You were clenching your teeth so tightly that your jaw hurt, but you weren't distressed enough for your eyes to act up. You were trying hard to keep your cool - you had spent years doing just that to keep your eyes a secret, so this shouldn't be any different.

"Leorio, do you have any serums in here?"

Kurapika held up the red and black briefcase, and Leorio looked downtrodden, struggling to even move. "If I did, I would be able to save you guys, too..."

With that said, Leorio had fainted, and you felt your face pale. "I'll staunch the bleeding... Besides, we're going to be here for a bit, so I might as well fill you all in."

Knowing that, for now, there was nothing to do about the venom, your hands hovered over Leorio as you began to close up all of his wounds with your nen. Gon and Ponzu, both of whom had never seen this before, watched in more surprise as you filled your two friends in on Bourbon's little trap.

"Ponzu killed him," you said, nodding towards the green-haired girl as Kurapika approached Bourbon. You shot back up to your feet. "Kurapika, don't--!"

He immediately jumped back as a few snakes dropped from the ceiling, hissing menacingly as they circled Bourbon to protect his body. Ponzu spoke up from her spot.

"It's no use to search his body."

You couldn't see Kurapika's face, but he stayed there for a moment as if he was examining it before finally speaking up. "You used poison to fight poison. Judging by these wounds... You used neurotoxic bees. He probably died from anaphylactic shock."

You scrunched up your eyebrows, turning to face Ponzu to see if she'd confirm or deny it.

"Anaphylactic shock?"

That came from Gon, and you looked over, humming. "An allergic reaction," you explained. "With how many times he might've been stung, it's possible he had one."

Ponzu sighed, closing her eyes. ". . . Yes. That's what happened," she admitted. "Bourbon was my target, you see..." She started to explain how she had originally sprayed sleeping gas in the cave to knock him out, but when she tried to get the tag, the vipers that weren't affected by the gas had immediately attacked. She had managed to avoid getting bitten, but apparently if she ever screams, she has bees trained to attack any nearby humans.

Seeing the bees fly around her made you uneasy. The thought of dying from bee stings was _not_ a pleasant one.

Thankfully, Ponzu's bees flew back into her hat, and you let out a small sigh of relief. "What's done is done," she said somberly. "I couldn't save him because the vipers wouldn't let me near him, and now we can't ask him to disarm the trap because he's dead."

You sat back down near the entrance of the cave and away from Ponzu, thinking. "We can't escape, so we might as well wait for the examiners to come save us."

"The examiners?"

Your eyebrows were furrowed. Why would they look for you?

Seeing the look of confusion on all of your faces, Ponzu nearly rolled her eyes. "Our tags have trackers in it. Didn't you know?"

You... Really didn't.

Shaking your head, you glanced over at Leorio. "We may have a day left, but we can't wait that long," you said out loud. "With all of that poison in him, I'm afraid...." Trailing off, you bit at your bottom lip again, the taste of copper in your mouth. You didn't want to finish that thought.

Gon stood up, giving you and Kurapika a bright smile. "You two look after Leorio. I'm sure he'll have some!" For a moment, you didn't understand what Gon was talking about until he started towards Bourbon. Immediately, you stood up, but before you could speak, Gon turned back to look at you.

"Don't worry, [Y/n]. I'll be fine!"

It felt wrong to have somebody years younger than you, not even a teen, to be going straight into danger, but more than anything you respected Gon and knew you had to believe in him. Still, it didn't stop you from being tense as you clenched your fists, ready to jump in and protect the kid if it got bad.

"Wait, didn't you hear me?!"

The moment Ponzu called out, Gon had grabbed Bourbon, and the three of you watched in abject terror as Gon was instantly covered in snakes. For a moment, you felt faint and woozy at the sight, nausea welling up in your stomach. You may not have been fond of snakes before, but this was _definitely_ ruining them for you.

You couldn't stand by and watch this.

Just as your feet began to shuffle forward, Gon had called out Kurapika's name, tossing out what looked to be syringes and medicine. You didn't even look back to see if Kurapika had caught them, only focused on Gon as you dove forward to catch him right before he hit the ground. You ignored the slight stinging in your knees, and instead immediately disintegrated the snakes still lingering on him as you pulled him away.

"You idiot...!"

Feeling your eyes tear up in frustration, and the familiar burn, you didn't hesitate to heal him too, getting rid of the swelling in his face while you were at it. All emotional, you knew your eyes were red, and as Kurapika came over to give Gon the antidote as well, you had to turn away and wipe at your eyes for a moment, sniffling - not to mention a bit embarrassed for actually allowing yourself to tear up in front of people.

Once your eyes were for sure cleared up, you turned back to the others, your expression tight and stressed. "Even if we have the antidote, there are too many snakes for us to just bust out of here," you pointed out.

Sitting up, Gon checked himself in surprise at his lack of injuries before turning to Ponzu. "Do you have anymore of that sleeping gas?"

"Yes....?"

Holding up Bourbon's badge, Gon grinned. "Mind trading it for this?"

In the next few moments, the four of you had devised a plan - Gon could _apparently_ hold his breath for almost ten minutes (something that had you choke in shock), and the gas would take five minutes to fill up the cave completely to knock out the snakes. He was confident that he could carry you, Leorio, Kurapika, and Ponzu all out, and while you were hesitant...

Well, you all didn't really have any other options unless you wanted to fail the exam.

"I trust you," you told Gon, and he grinned in response as he took a deep breath before giving Ponzu a thumbs up. She had unlatched the container and smoke immediately began to pour out.

Locking eyes with Kurapika, the last thing you saw were light gray eyes before you passed out, slumping silently on the ground.

"Right at the last minute..." Right before the remaining applicants had all boarded the Hunter Association blimp to leave, you, Gon, Leorio, and Killua had all appeared at the last moment, confirming your guys' passing. 

After boarding the blimp, you had separated from the three you had been with, instead walking around a bit aimlessly. You all had quite a bit of time to spare, and you felt particularly restless.

"Oh, it's you."

Turning a corner, you nearly ran into Killua, who didn't look particularly interested in running into you of all people. Smiling wryly, you jerked your head back. "Gon's back there with Leorio and Kurapika."

He didn't say anything, just shrug and start to walk past you before stopping when he was right beside you. You turned your head towards him in confusion, but he continued to look straight. Contemplative. Thinking.

"[Y/n]... Are you a Kurta?"

Cocking your head to the side, you analyzed Killua as he finally looked up at you. For a kid, he looked serious and calculating. Definitely the product of being raised as an assassin.

Shaking your head in slight confusion, you were truthful. "I've never heard of that before," you admitted. The name sounded familiar, bittersweet and sad, but you weren't sure why.

Killua examined you for a moment. "The Kurta's eyes turn scarlet when emotional. It's supposed to be one of the seven most beautiful colors in the world - but they were massacred by the Phantom Troupe for those eyes."

You had a bad feeling about this, your stomach dropping, but you allowed him to continue. "Kurapika is a Kurta, and your eyes are just like his. So you're a Kurta."

Feeling a bit wobbly, you leaned against a nearby wall to support yourself. "I wouldn't... I don't...." You were floundering unsure of this information. "My past, my memories... It's all blank. I don't know if..." Trailing off, you met Killua's icy blue gaze with wide, red eyes of your own. Overwhelmed. You felt overwhelmed.

". . . Go find Gon. I'm going to take some time for myself."

Turning away robotically, you walked in the opposite direction of Killua, your heart beating harshly in your chest. The Kurta, the Phantom Troupe, _Kurapika_... What did they all mean to you? Were they really interconnected with your past? Killua spoke as if the Kurta Massacre was common knowledge...

Did Hisoka know of this the entire time?

Rage filled you at the thought of him playing you. It shouldn't have been surprising, the joker loved his little games, but you couldn't believe you had fallen so easily into that trap. He was currently in his interview with Chairman Netero right now, and you had a feeling he was going to specifically avoid you until the fights. He must know by now that you've figured some things out, and wasn't going to give you the information easily.

You could ask Kurapika - but again, you felt selfish for bringing up something like that before the exam was over. It would only cause a distraction, and the blond was determined to pass and become a hunter. Your heart throbbed painfully at the thought of him failing. You couldn't do that to him.

Finding a quiet place to meditate and just calm yourself down, you waited for your number to be called, finally going into the interview room and sitting across from Chairman Netero with your legs folded politely underneath you. You were currently in a more somber mood, not really all smiles, and thankfully the chairman didn't comment on it.

"So first off, [Y/n], why do you want to become a hunter?"

 _Why_ do _I want to become a hunter...?_

Eyes sliding to the side, you thought about it seriously. ". . . I don't have any memories of my past, so I want to use my license to find the information I need."

Chairman Netero hummed, a slight smile on his face as he continued. "Okay, okay. Which applicant are you keeping an eye out for?"

"Number 404, Kurapika."

There was no hesitation on your answer, and Chairman Netero nodded again.

"Alright, and lastly, which applicant would you want to fight the least?"

This time, you did hesitate. There were certainly a few, and you weren't sure which one you wanted to fight the least out of them. "Probably number 405, Gon," you said slowly. "Although it wouldn't be wise for me to fight number 44 either."

Chairman Netero cocked an eyebrow.

"Why not?"

Clenching your fists, you took a deep breath to calm yourself. "Because I'm very pissed at him right now, and if it comes to a fight, I'll probably wind up trying to melt his face off and kill him."

It was the truth, and Chairman Netero just nodded before letting you know you could leave. You did just that, exiting the room and heading out. You purposely avoided people, wanting to just have your time to yourself to toss your thoughts around. Because very soon... You were going to have to face the truth.

And that terrified you.


	12. Madder Disquiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last phase begins. Your opponent is the worst.

Gathered in the lobby of a hotel, apparently owned by the Hunter Association, were the ten of you whom had passed the fourth phase. Waiting for the fifth and final phase to be revealed, the silence was tense as you all waited. Finally, after a few stiff moments of disquiet, a covered board was rolled out, and Chairman Netero began to speak.

"For the final phase, we'll be having a one-on-one tournament."

Revealing the board, but not the names at the bottom, you furrowed your eyebrows but opted to not say anything. To have only one person become a hunter in a bracket-style tournament... You clenched your fists.

"Only one person is going to pass?" That came from a perplexed Hanzo.

"No," Chairman Netero said. "One win is all you need to pass. The winners will be removed from the competition, while the losers move up. In other words, the person who finishes at the top will not pass.

"Here is the bracket."

Revealing the bracket, you clenched your teeth in frustration. Great, you'd be going up against either Kurapika or Hisoka, _neither_ of them who you wanted to fight at all. And if you lost against either of them, you'd be going up against that old man, Bodoro, and if you lost against him, Leorio, and if you lost against him...

You'd be out.

Taking a deep breath, you calmed yourself down. It wouldn't come to that - you had no intentions of losing. Not when you had gotten this far.

"This bracket isn't very balanced," you pointed out, and Chairman Netero nodded.

"Yes, this bracket was based on your performances throughout the entire exam. Those who performed better get more chances."

Looking at your placement, you sighed in relief. Apparently you had made a good impression, considering you had four chances, compared to Leorio's and Gittarackur's measly two chances.

Killua, on the other hand, was pretty irritated. "That makes no sense. Can you explain how you scored our performances?" You looked at his placement in the bracket to see that he only had three chances.

". . ."

Everybody was silent, waiting for Chairman Netero, before he shouted at the top of his lungs, making you jolt. "NO! The scores are strictly confidential, so I can't tell you everything, but I can explain our methods. We consider three major criteria: physical strength, mental strength, and overall impression."

Chairman Netero explained the ways they scored, and you couldn't help but be a bit surprised at how well you had scored in the end. You hadn't even wanted to be here in the first place, so to rank better than some was shocking. And even more shocking... You grit your teeth. Hisoka had ranked better than you. Hisoka! How was his overall impression better?!

Finally moving on to the rules of the matches, it was explained that weapons were allowed, but cheating and killing were not. Killing an opponent means immediate disqualification, and you felt a bit bummed that you wouldn't be able to disintegrate a hole in Hisoka. You weren't an aggressive person by any means, but Hisoka had really managed to piss you off recently in light of all of this.

Everybody backing up, you gave Gon a reassuring smile as he prepared for his fight against Hanzo, the first match of the final phase. You hadn't really paid much attention to the self-proclaimed ninja, but you were decent at gauging strength. He was strong, but so was Gon - was it even, though? You couldn't tell who might win in this match-up. Normally, you'd say Hanzo, but, well... Gon was just full of surprises and innovative thinking that you couldn't say for sure.

The match started, and in two seconds, Gon was already on the ground with Hanzo standing over him. You clenched your fists. Hanzo repeatedly told Gon to surrender, and Gon, as stubborn as he is, refused. You could only watch in frustration as Hanzo continued to lay him out, hoping to break the kid's will.

But Gon was strong.

Standing back up, Gon was immediately punched in the stomach by Hanzo, and your heart squeezed in anxiety.

"Gon, think about it! If you give up, you'll still have another chance!"

"Leorio," you said, your voice strained, "If you were in Gon's position... Would _you_ give up?"

"Hell no!"

Well, there was that answer, then. Yes, you were pained to see Gon hurt, but there was nothing you could do but have faith in him that he'd overcome Hanzo.

The next few hours were brutal. Every time Gon would stand up, Hanzo would immediately beat him back down. Gon refused to yield, though, even as his blood painted the floor. During this time, wedged between Leorio and Kurapika, you had wound up gripping Kurapika's sleeve on instinct. He hadn't shaken you off. Honestly, with his own stress and frustration at this match up, you weren't really sure if he even _noticed_.

_Three hours... Gon....._

Leorio, ever the vocal one, was seething with rage. "Enough! I'll kill you, I'll fight you in his place!"

Hanzo turned, his gaze stony. "If you can't take it, then leave. It's only going to get worse."

You clenched your free fist tightly, nails biting into your skin deep enough to draw blood. You ignored the stinging sensation, unable to tear your eyes away from the scene in front of you.

Starting forward, Leorio was immediately blocked off by three examiners. "No one may interfere with a one-on-one match. If you step in, Gon will be the one who's disqualified!"

"Gon..." You murmured, eyes downcast. The boy in question stood up shakily, bent over.

"It's okay. This is... Nothing...." He finally looked up, meeting yours and Leorio's eyes with a fierce determination that you would not have expected to see in a 12-year-old. "I-I can still fight!"

Immediately, Hanzo knocked him back down face first before twisting Gon's arm behind his back.

"I'm going to break your arm. I'm not joking around, so give up."

You tensed, almost darting forward yourself, but a firm grip around your wrist had stopped you. Startled, you looked back - after you had let go of Kurapika's sleeve, he had grabbed your wrist to stop you from bursting through, shaking his head once when your eyes met. Swallowing thickly, you stepped back, and Kurapika's grip loosened. You didn't grab back onto his sleeve despite the temptation, instead keeping your hands at your sides, nails continuing to bite into your skin. The cut on your hand from Hisoka's card earlier was even more agitated now, the bandages you had wrapped around your hand earlier stained red. You didn't feel it. You didn't care.

"Never!"

In an instant, Hanzo pulled back, immediately snapping Gon's arm. The kid's pained shout mixed with your own yell as you called out Gon's name. Behind you, Leorio and Kurapika's rage were palpable, and you could feel your own eyes turn scarlet in anger as well, tears streaming hotly down your face in anger.

"Kurapika, [Y/n]... If that bastard does anything else to Gon, don't stop me."

Kurapika scoffed. "Me? Stop you? Don't worry, there is no chance of that happening."

You were in agreement, but too emotional to look back and nod or say anything. You couldn't tear your eyes away from Gon, who looked like he was in excruciating pain.

Hanzo, clearly undisturbed by all of the hostility directed towards him, began to speak to Gon. "I know you're probably in too much pain to listen, but hear me out." Standing on one hand, Hanzo began to explain himself, in which Gon was having none of as the kid immediately swung his foot out, kicking Hanzo in the face.

Immediately, Gon had fallen back down, but that kick in the face was what you needed to start calming down, feeling the burn in your eyes slowly recede. 

As the two bickered, you watched as Hanzo pulled out a knife and threatened to cut off Gon's legs, and immediate fear sparked in your veins, especially as Gon still refused to surrender.

This kid... was really something else.

"I don't want to get my legs cut off, but I don't want to surrender either! So let's find a different way to fight!"

You couldn't help the small giggle that left your lips as Hanzo started to rage at Gon's stubbornness, and even though tears still left your eyes, you felt a bit more calm, turning your head to the side and using a hand to stifle the noise that left you. 

"Besides, if you cut off my legs, I'll bleed to death. He'll be disqualified if that happens, right?" Gon looked past Hanzo at the referee, who nodded hesitantly.

Even as Hanzo held his blade to Gon's forehead, drawing a pinprick of blood, Gon still refused to surrender.

"Why won't you just concede?!"

Gon met his gaze unwaveringly. "I'm going to find my dad."

_His dad?_

"My dad's a hunter. So I'm going to become a hunter and find him! I believe that I will find him one day... But I have a feeling that if I give up now, I'll never find him! So I won't surrender."

You hadn't known any of this, and allowed a wistful smile to cross your features. His dad... In a way, Gon was like you. You were searching for a family you knew was dead, but still couldn't give up on that. For him to go through all of this, just to find his dad... It was admirable.

Finally, Hanzo withdrew his blade, turning away. "I give up. You win."

Your eyebrows raised, even more as Gon refused his own defeat.

"I can't accept that, that's not fair! We both have to think of a way to settle this fight!"

"That boy, I swear..." You murmured underneath your breath, shaking your head. Only Gon would manage something like this as him and Hanzo began to argue again, with Hanzo finally knocking Gon out and admitting defeat. Immediately, he was taken to the infirmary, and while you wanted to go after and heal him, you were blocked off and told you weren't allowed to leave the room until your fight was up. You understood, but it was still frustrating to you that you couldn't heal Gon's broken arm and other various wounds.

Even with the lighthearted ending, you found yourself disdaining Hanzo, and chewed on your lower lip to keep yourself from saying anything nasty to him.

The next fight was Kurapika with Hisoka - one that was much quicker than Hanzo's and Gon's. After a bit of fighting, Hisoka had whispered something in Kurapika's ear. You couldn't hear what it was, but it was enough to startle the blond before Hisoka forfeited the match, allowing Kurapika to win.

And, unfortunately, making your fight be against Hisoka. The jester had sent a cunning smile your way as he walked back, and you promptly ignored it, your heart and brain both racing. 

The next fight, Hanzo versus a teen named Pokkle, had gone on next. Hanzo had threatened to break Pokkle's arm, too, but Pokkle was not Gon, and had conceded immediately, wanting to avoid the pain. And with the end of that fight...

Left you versus Hisoka.


	13. Cinnabar Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You fight Hisoka. You and Kurapika have a difficult talk.

You found yourself standing apart from Hisoka, bringing out and extending your bo staff immediately. Hisoka knew you already had it on you, so it's not like you could use it as a surprise.

Despite the match having started, neither of you moved for a moment, and Hisoka looked more amused than ever.

"What, too afraid to come at me head on?"

You grit your teeth, gripping your staff so tight that your knuckles turned white, the cuts on your hand dripping down the metal staff and onto the already-stained ground beneath your feet.

"You played me this entire time. You knew everything, and you strung me along like a fool!"

You were upset, but managed to keep calm enough for your eyes to remain a teary [e/c] instead of a burning red. Hisoka's smile only widened, bringing out a playing card and playing with it idly.

"I don't see why you're mad at me. After all, I helped you start unraveling your past, didn't I?"

Starting to walk towards you in a languid manner, you took a step back, tense. You wanted to remain calm, you didn't want to lose your temper, but Hisoka had a way of getting underneath your skin and making you lose whatever remaining cool you had. Straightening up, you refused to back away, seething with rage. Eventually, Hisoka was right in front of you, and you stared defiantly at him, feeling the warning sign that your eyes were about to revert to their unnatural color. As if he could sense this, Hisoka's eyes narrowed in a twisted manner, clearly taking joy in your anger.

Flipping the card so it disappeared, Hisoka raised his hands, immediately putting you on edge despite the placating gesture.

"What is your end goal here?"

Your words had come out less hostile than you wanted them to, and Hisoka chuckled as if the answer was obvious.

"I'm just searching for some entertainment," he admitted, before doing something that completely surprised - and disgusted - you.

You were strong, even without nen, but you weren't disillusioned enough to think you could really stand a chance against Hisoka. His movements were faster than even you, in all of your experience, could comprehend as his hand shot out. Thinking he was going to hit you, you had immediately focused your nen to protect yourself, not having time to block. Not that it mattered. Sharp nails dug into your cheek as your face was pulled forward, the strangest of sensations on your lips.

He was _kissing_ you.

It was short, and you knew it meant nothing but to piss you off and get a reaction, but you couldn't help but splutter and immediately thrust your bo staff into his stomach. Despite the blow, he jumped back, clearly unbothered save for the smile on his face as your friends on the sidelines - well, actually, just Leorio - started to yell at Hisoka. As psychopathic as ever, you shouldn't have been surprised that Hisoka would go to such lengths for his own entertainment. He valued his own entertainment above all else, consequences be damned. It just so happened that, this time, you were going to be the one dealing with those consequences.

Your eyes were burning with disdain and rage, a bright scarlet that couldn't be missed as you heard a loud gasp from the sidelines. You didn't need to look to take a hazard as to who it was, but you didn't care as your nen activated, disintegrating the bo staff in your hands instantly, the ashes fluttering gently down to the floor despite the tension in the air.

"I'll kill you," you said, your voice an eerie calm, and Hisoka chuckled, his own nen leaking out as the room got tense for a moment. One second later, he raised his hand up.

"I surrender."

" _Excuse me._ "

He ignored you and walked off, and you were left standing there in mortification at your win before turning to your friends, your eyes meeting Kurapika's.

Instead of silver, though, you found yourself staring into a mirror of your own eyes, a vivid red that matched your own, his face paler than a ghost's. It wasn't the shock, though, that stabbed through your heart, but a realization of your own that you had been wrong in your reasoning for keeping it a secret from him.

You should have told him from the start.

With your win aside, you had purposely avoided Kurapika. He tried to talk to you once, but you shook your head, simply telling him not now. You knew he wanted to argue, wanted to pursue, but you were right - now wasn't the time. Still, you could feel his eyes on you the entire time during the other matches.

After your match was Killua and Pokkle, in which Killua immediately forfeited because he thought it'd be boring. Hisoka beat Bodoro into the ground and Bodoro admitted defeat, leaving Killua versus Gittarackur.

Although, it wasn't really Gittarackur.

Removing the pins from his face, you watched in confusion as Gittarackur's face morphed into a much more familiar one, one that had you grimace immediately.

Illumi Zoldyck.

Being familiar with most of the Zoldycks thanks to Milluki's constant harassment on _RuneSight_ , you immediately knew this was not good, especially with all you had heard about Illumi from others.

You knew, from Killua's face, that he wasn't fit to go up against Illumi - honestly, you weren't sure even you could. You weren't delusional to believe you could face Illumi. The two talked for a bit before Illumi realized that Gon was already Killua's friend, and he immediately sighed.

"That's no good... I guess I'll have to kill Gon."

Killua couldn't move as Illumi had went to the door, and immediately you had stepped in front of it, followed by Kurapika, Leorio, and Hanzo. The feel of Illumi's aura was stifling and anxiety-inducing, but instead of backing down you took a step forward, summoning your own aura to combat Illumi's. You saw his face twitch for a moment before going back to its normal deadpan.

"This won't do..." He sighed. "I need a hunter's license for my job, but if I kill them, I'll fail, and Kil will pass automatically." Pausing, Illumi came to a realization. "Oh darn. If I kill Gon, the same thing will happen. I'll just have to pass the exam before killing Gon."

Illumi turned back to Killua, giving him an ultimatum - either Killua beats Illumi, or Illumi will pass and kill Gon. Unfortunately, Killua couldn't withstand the suffocating aura, and had surrendered, his eyes dead. Even though Illumi had said it was just a test and that he wouldn't kill Gon, you were still on edge up until Killua suddenly ripped Bodoro's heart out of his chest, killing him immediately before leaving. With the death of Bodoro, and Killua's disqualification, the hunter exam...

Was over.

Orientation went on awkwardly and without a hitch, save for Gon threatening Illumi and breaking his arm. After getting your hunter licenses, with orientation ending, you had debated on escaping for a moment. Kurapika had caught your gaze, though, and you knew that would be unfair, not to mention he had the information you needed. Both of you left the room silently, walking to the courtyard before anything was said.

"[Y/n]... Did you know?"

You wanted this to be a serious conversation, but your voice had choked up at Kurapika's words. More his tone than anything, which was quiet. Emotionless.

". . . Not until Killua said something, right before the final phase," you admitted quietly. "I wanted to ask about our eyes since Trick Tower, but... It was never the right time. I couldn't find the words, and I don't know much myself..."

You hastily wiped at your eyes, staring down at your hands. "I don't remember my past. I know my family was murdered, and that my eyes turn scarlet. I don't even recall my last name, just my first name, and this necklace that I took from one of the killers."

You couldn't bring yourself to look at up at Kurapika. You were too afraid of what you might see, even as he spoke up, his voice equally as soft and wavering.

"The Kurta Clan," he started. "They were murdered for their scarlet eyes. For so long, I thought I was the only survivor..."

You finally looked up to see his eyes piercing into you, torrents of red emotion in his eyes.

"And yet, here you were, all along, hiding in plain sight because you had amnesia."

Hearing his words, realizing the truth about your family and past, seeing his pained expression... You couldn't hold it in as you started to silently cry, your eyes matching his in color.

"I'm sorry," you said, reaching out and grabbing his hand gently. "I didn't... I still don't know much. But the Phantom Troupe..." Your breath hitched at the thought that they had killed your family. At the mention of the Troupe, Kurapika had tensed up, gripping your hand tightly.

"They massacred the Kurta."

To hear it from him was different than hearing it from Killua, and you let out another choked sob, the reality of it all hitting you.

"Then that means... My family... They really are..."

Surprising you, Kurapika had quickly enveloped you in a hug, and you hugged him back immediately, burying your face into his neck as you started to cry noisily. The past you yearned to know for so long, the fears and nightmares you constantly had... It was now right in front of you.

"How sweet.~"

Pulling away from Kurapika and wiping at your eyes, you glared hostilely at Hisoka, who was leaned up against a tree and watching this all.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you now, you damned joker."

Hisoka chuckled, raising his hands up. "I'm not here to fight." Indeed, his aura was relaxed, but that didn't pacify you. "I just came to congratulate you on finally figuring out your past. Or at least, a part of it."

His words were somewhat mocking, and you glanced at Kurapika, who was also tense.

"Kurapika, he's..."

The blond shook his head. "Don't worry about it." Looking at Hisoka grimly, you could tell that Kurapika held just as much hate for the clown as you did, but there was something else underneath it all, something you couldn't quite read... "I'll see you in York New. September."

Hisoka nodded once, confirming the cryptic words before heading out, leaving the two of you by yourselves again.

Confusion settled in. "York New City?"

Kurapika hesitated before nodding. "I'll explain it later, but for now..." You hastily wiped away all traces of tears as he nodded behind you. Twisting around, you saw Gon and Leorio approach, both looking determined.

"We're going to rescue Killua!" Gon announced, and Leorio nodded. Exchanging glances with Kurapika, you turned back to the others to give them a wobbly grin, nodding once.

"I'm in."

"So am I."

At the declaration that all four of you would go and save Killua, you had looked up Kukuroo Mountain before all heading out, already ready to embark on the first adventure of your career as a hunter.


	14. Vermilion Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You part ways with your friends. Kurapika makes a hard decision.

"That was quite the adventure..."

On a train back to the main city, where an airport was nearby, sat five individuals - you, Kurapika, Leorio, Gon, and Killua. After rescuing Killua from the mansion, you all had decided it would be best to leave the Republic of Padokea, just in case Killua's family changed their minds about letting Killua leave. With Gon on a tourist visa, refusing to use his hunter's license, it was best to go back to your original continent to finish accomplishing your goals.

"Hisoka has information regarding the Spider," Kurapika brought up, causing you all to tense. Especially you, if what Hisoka had said was true. "He'll be in York New City on September 1st."

September 1st...

"That's during the auction," you said. "September 1st through 10th."

Gon tilted his head, confused, and Kurapika opted to explain. "Every year, the world's biggest auction is held in York New City to exchange valuable and priceless artifacts for money. It's an opportunity the Phantom Troupe wouldn't pass up."

You hadn't thought about it before, but with one part of your goal out of the way, the mystery of your past somewhat solved, it only made sense to start your next goal - searching out the Phantom Troupe. Subconsciously, you had clutched your amulet. You intended to give it back to its former owner in only one way - a fight to the death. He specifically had killed your family, and you were determined to take him down.

_Black, squinted eyes. A foreign accent. A skull bandana._

Even with scarce memories, you would never forget that man's appearance.

"So Hisoka will be in York New City..." Gon trailed off, nudging you out of your thoughts as the train came to a stop. You all unboarded, coming to a stop once the five of you were off to the side of the main road.

"This is where I'll be leaving," Kurapika stated suddenly, and you cast him a quizzical look. "We managed to see Killua again, which is what I came here for. Since I'll need money for the auction, I'm going to search for a patron to hire me as a hunter." Assuming that you would be sticking with Kurapika, you nodded, a soft and serene smile on your face.

"I see." Leorio sighed, smiling wistfully. "I guess I'll head back home, then. I haven't given up my dream of becoming a doctor. If I'm accepted to medical school, I can use my license to pay for the ridiculous fee. I need to head back and start cramming."

"Oh, good luck!" Gon said quickly, and you repeated his words genuinely to Leorio. The five of you all exchanged looks, realizing this was where you all would part ways. Gon and Killua, you and Kurapika, and Leorio.

"Until we meet again," Leorio said, as you all exchanged information before repeating the date.

"September 1st, York New City!"

Exchanging hugs and last goodbyes, Leorio was first to leave, his airship leaving first, and then Killua and Gon headed out, leaving just you and Kurapika.

"So, where to next?" you asked, falling in stride with Kurapika. He came to a stop, his face troubled. "Kurapika?"

". . . You're not coming with me."

Your face dropped immediately, eyebrows furrowing. You had a few different questions, but couldn't quite articulate your feelings, only asking, "What?" ineloquently.

He turned to face you, expression grim and serious, a contrast to his earlier levity. "I'm not dragging you along on my quest for vengeance."

You felt annoyance bubble up within your chest. "What do you mean? This isn't just about you - unless you've forgotten, the Phantom Troupe killed my family, too." Your voice was heated, but when you spoke up next, it got quiet. "Besides... We're both from the Kurta clan, so we have to stick together, right?"

He was silent, and you searched his expression for something, _anything_ , that would indicate this was a poorly planned prank. He averted his eyes, but other than that, his expression was the same. 

"It's better if you don't stay near me. You'll just get yourself killed."

"You have no right to say that!"

Eyes burning with tears, you clenched your recently healed hands into fists. "You have no right to say that," you repeated. "I'm a Kurta as well. I have every right as you do to pursue the Troupe and avenge our clan."

When his eyes next met yours, they lacked the earlier warmth they held. All they were now were empty. Cold. Dark. Beneath it all, though, you could see the bitterness and sadness that swirled deep. His gaze was resolute, and you faltered, your heart skipping.

"Kurapika...."

His voice matched his gaze as he spoke, steely. "I refuse to involve you in this. For the last time, you're not coming along. If you try, I'll be forced to take more drastic measures."

Turning his back to you, he started to walk away. You couldn't let it end like this, feeling your heart clench in your chest. 

"Kurapika, I need you!"

You hadn't meant for the words to leave your mouth so brazenly, and Kurapika froze in his tracks, not turning around. You froze too, your heart stammering in fear. Fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, it all swirled dangerously inside of you. When he didn't respond or reject you, you took a step forward, clenching your fists.

"We both... You're all I have left of my past. Please... Don't leave me." Your voice was plaintive, small, and Kurapika finally sighed, turning around to face you.

You faltered. His gaze was steely, none of that sorrow from before. It was a cold enough look to make your blood run cold, and when Kurapika spoke, it held a bitter bite that dashed all of your hopes.

"I don't want anything to do with you. You'll just get in my way."

Turning around, he left you there. You wanted to reach out and grab him, to stop him and hug him, but you could do nothing but stand in place as he walked off to his terminal, your arm outreached slightly.

_I don't want anything to do with you. You'll just get in my way._

Feeling tears brimming up, you harshly bit the inside of your cheek to keep you from crying out. Those words, delivered with such a harsh countenance, had nearly shattered your heart. 

_You'll just get in my way_. The audacity to think that, he didn't even know _nen_ and yet he still saw _you_ as the burden? You wanted nothing more than to take down the Phantom Troupe as well, to finally put your heart and mind at ease, and to be denied even that... It hurt. You had spent so long closed off from others, and the moment you try to finally hand your heart out to somebody, it's crushed within an instant, dissolving as if you had used your own nen on it.

You weren't a burden, right? You were strong. You _had_ to be. Yet he still left you - he still rejected you with a brutal finality that made your entire body go cold, the world grow bleak and monochrome again. You were both Kurta - the last remaining ones. You should stick together, so why was he pushing you away? _Why did he leave?_

You weren't sure what you had felt towards him, but... Did it matter, now? There was no changing his mind, but there was also no changing yours. You were determined to finish out your own goals. With or without your friend, even if that meant going strictly against his wishes. The spiraling sadness that had nearly consumed you turned to a scorching anger, and you turned on your heels, your own gaze turning harsh. There was none of that uncertainty before, at least not visible. While it still resounded throughout your mind, you wouldn't let this deter you. You had started on this path alone, and sure, you made the mistake of trusting somebody else, but... You wouldn't make that mistake again.

_He won't let me come along? Fine. I'll do this by myself._

Going to the ticket counter to purchase your own ticket, you ignored the desk attendant's flinch at your harsh glare, flashing your license to get a free ticket with ease. Kurapika wasn't the boss of you. _Nobody_ was the boss of you. If he wasn't going to let you join him, so be it, because you would do it by yourself.

First, you needed to train. Your nen control was good, but physically, you needed more strength. You already had the perfect place in mind, and as you boarded the aircraft, choosing a window seat, you gazed out listlessly.

September 1st. York New City.

With a stony heart, you embarked on your own journey without Kurapika, ready to prepare yourself against the upcoming and imminent battle against the Phantom Troupe.

* * *

_to be continued . . ._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg one of my stories is completed on here at least--
> 
> so I actually am already working on the sequel for this called "Midnight Resolve", but it's not published yet. Soon! Anyways, I'm not the best with angst so hopefully this was good? See you all soon!


End file.
